COLUMBUS, Ga. – The shots simply would not fall for Georgia Southwestern Wednesday night.
Despite a solid defensive effort against one of the league's top teams, the No. 7-seeded Hurricanes struggled offensively in a 63-44 loss to No. 2 seed Columbus State University in the Peach Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinals at the Lumpkin Center.
The defeat ends Georgia Southwestern's season at 16-13, a five-win improvement over last year.
Early Defensive Battle
The opening minutes resembled a defensive chess match.
After a pair of early baskets from
Amir Reaves and
JR Jacobs helped GSW tie the game at 6-6, both teams traded empty possessions as the Hurricanes worked to slow the Cougars' transition attack.
A 3-pointer from
Markel Freeman tied the game at 16-16 with just over five minutes left in the half, but Columbus State closed the period on an 11-4 run to take a 27-20 lead into the locker room.
Despite trailing, Georgia Southwestern held CSU to just 32 percent shooting in the opening half and only one 3-pointer.
Cougars Pull Away After Break
Columbus State gradually created separation in the second half.
A quick 10-2 run pushed the Cougars' lead to double digits, and a three-pointer from Pascal Volz extended the margin to 37-22 with 16:25 remaining.
Georgia Southwestern continued to battle defensively, forcing misses and generating second chances, but the Hurricanes could not generate consistent offense to cut into the deficit.
A dunk from
Deonte Williams and a layup from
Hasani Rivera trimmed the margin briefly, but Columbus State maintained control down the stretch to advance to the semifinal round.
Freeman Leads Hurricanes
Markel Freeman paced GSW with 14 points and eight rebounds.
JR Jacobs added 11 points, while
Amir Reaves contributed eight points and three rebounds.
PBC Defensive Player of the Year
Deonte Williams finished with six points, eight rebounds and two blocks, and
Matthew Webster pulled down eight rebounds to help GSW remain competitive on the glass.
By the Numbers
- 44 – Fewest points scored by GSW in a game this season
- 27.3% – Lowest field-goal percentage for the Hurricanes this year
- 3 – Fewest three-pointers made by GSW this season
- 8.8% – Lowest three-point percentage of the year (3-of-34)
- 5 – Free throws made, tied for the fewest in a game this season
- 8 – Free throws attempted, the fewest this season
- 6 – Assists, the lowest total for the Hurricanes this season
- 11 – Personal fouls committed by GSW, third-fewest this year
- 14 – Turnovers, the third-fewest in a game this season for GSW
- 20.8% – Three-point shooting allowed by GSW, the third-lowest percentage for Columbus State this season
Season Ends for Hurricanes
The Hurricanes held Columbus State to just 37.9 percent shooting overall, 63 points - which was their fourth-lowest total in a game this season - and limited the Cougars from beyond the arc, but GSW could not overcome its own shooting struggles.
Despite the difficult offensive night, the Hurricanes finished the year with 16 wins in Head Coach
Kevin O'Connor's first season and a return to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.
