Men’s Basketball falls short against CIU

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (December 6, 2023) – The Milligan University men's basketball team fell to first-place Columbia International 98-83 in the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening.

Milligan falls to 4-6 on the season and 4-4 in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) action. CIU rises to 8-4 on the year and sits atop the league standings with a 7-1 conference record.

Neither team led by more than two possessions in the first half as the two teams traded the lead a dozen times in the opening 20 minutes as both squads shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half. CIU used a late 6-0 run to turn a one-point deficit into a 44-39 lead before a Finn McClure putback brought the score to its halftime margin of 44-41 CIU.

The Rams opened the second half with a 9-4 run and pushed their lead to double-digits (60-49) five minutes into the half. Milligan trailed 75-65 with just under seven minutes remaining. The closest the Buffs got in the final stretch was five (77-72) following a three-point play by McCaskill Rivers. The teams continued to trade baskets until the Rams pulled away in the final minutes to earn the conference win.

Follie Bogan led Milligan with 20 points and four assists. Lincoln Thomae had 15 points and five rebounds. McClure added 14 points and four assists. Rivers finished with 12 points and Sam Gold had 11 points, four rebounds and two blocks.

The game was fast-paced throughout as the two teams combined for just 23 free throws and 17 turnovers. CIU shot 56.2 percent (41-73) from the field while Milligan was 37-76 (48.7 percent).

Milligan hosts Bryan on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.