GREENWOOD, S.C. — The Columbus State University Men's Basketball team saw its run in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament come to an end Saturday afternoon, falling to the University of North Georgia, 65-59, in the semifinal round inside Finis Horne Arena.
Columbus State held a narrow 31-29 advantage at halftime, shooting 43.3 percent (13-of-30) from the field in the opening 20 minutes while limiting North Georgia to 44.8 percent shooting and holding the Nighthawks without a made three-pointer in the first half.
The second half featured multiple momentum swings as both teams exchanged leads throughout the period. North Georgia capitalized at the free-throw line down the stretch, converting 14-of-17 attempts in the second half, while Columbus State struggled to find consistent offense late in the contest.
Jordan Mitchell led Columbus State with 13 points, knocking down 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc, while
Masiah Jones provided a spark off the bench with nine points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting performance.
Marlon Smith added eight points and a team-high eight rebounds, while
Lee Langstaff II contributed seven points and four rebounds.
Jaylen Harris also scored seven points off the bench for the Cougars.
Columbus State shot 42.9 percent (24-of-56) from the floor and 31.8 percent (7-of-22) from three-point range, while forcing 11 points off turnovers. The Cougars also received 23 points from their bench, compared to 15 from North Georgia's reserves.
The contest featured 13 lead changes and five ties, highlighting the competitive nature of the semifinal match-up before North Georgia secured the late-game advantage.
With the result, Columbus State moves to 22-8 overall and will now await the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship selections, which will be announced on Selection Sunday, March 8, at 11:00 p.m. ET, when the Cougars will learn their tournament destination and next opponent.
