GREENWOOD, S.C. – The Columbus State Men's Basketball team saw a strong first-half effort slip away Friday night, falling 68-60 to Lander University in Peach Belt Conference action inside Finis Horne Arena.
Columbus State led 32-28 at the break and traded momentum throughout a tightly contested opening half, but Lander used second-half shooting to pull away. The Bearcats shot 69.6 percent from the field after halftime and outscored the Cougars 40-28 over the final 20 minutes to secure the win.
Jordan Mitchell led Columbus State with 18 points, connecting on 7-of-11 shooting and knocking down four three-pointers, while adding seven rebounds.
Marlon Smith followed with 17 points and seven rebounds, and
Lee Langstaff II chipped in 11 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Columbus State finished with 30 points in the paint and forced 13 Lander turnovers, converting them into 16 points.
The Cougars shot 39.1 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range but were limited to just six bench points on the night. The game featured six ties and 10 lead changes, underscoring the back-and-forth nature of the match-up before Lander created separation late.
With the loss, Columbus State moves to 13-6 overall and 7-4 in Peach Belt Conference play. The Cougars will return home on Wednesday, January 28, to host the University of North Georgia inside the Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m., with fans encouraged to wear red for "Sea of Red Night" and enjoy the Zooperstars performance at halftime.
