AMERICUS, Ga. – The Columbus State University Men's Basketball team earned a hard-fought 75–72 Peach Belt Conference road victory over Georgia Southwestern University on Friday night inside the Storm Dome, capped by a game-winning three-pointer from
Jydon Hall with two seconds remaining, set up by an assist from
Marlon Smith.
The Cougars led for much of the night but were tested in a tightly contested match-up that featured five ties and four lead changes. Columbus State shot an efficient 51.7 percent from the field and knocked down nine three-pointers, while holding Georgia Southwestern to 40.4 percent shooting overall.
Smith led the Cougars with a game-high 20 points, connecting on 7-of-11 shooting and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, while also grabbing eight rebounds.
Jordan Mitchell added 13 points and four rebounds, and
Lee Langstaff II scored 11 points on an efficient 5-of-6 performance from the floor. Hall provided a strong spark off the bench with 12 points and five rebounds, punctuating his performance with the game-winning basket.
Columbus State controlled the glass with a 36-32 rebounding advantage and scored 32 points in the paint. The Cougars also received 15 points from the bench and limited Georgia Southwestern's second-half shooting to under 38 percent to secure the win.
With the victory, Columbus State improves to 12-5 overall and 6-3 in Peach Belt Conference play and will continue conference action on Wednesday, January 21, when the Cougars host Middle Georgia State University inside the Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.
