Buffaloes Men's Basketball Wallops (RV) CIU with Ease at Home

MILLIGAN, Tenn. – The Milligan University men's basketball team was back in action in a dominant home display against the Appalachian Athletic Conference's (AAC) second-place team, winning against Columbia International University by a score of 89-63. The momentum continues to build for the Buffaloes, as they head down the stretch of the last several games of the 2024-25 campaign. The Buffs have now pushed their conference win streak to four in a row.  

Half number one saw both teams go back and forth in the early stages of the game, as the largest lead was five in the first ten minutes of action. The Buffs would gain control of the first half, going on a 13-4 run in the final 5:06, taking a 44-29 lead into the halftime break. Milligan played to a 19-of-32 (59.4%) shooting line in the opening half, while holding CIU to just 10-of-24.  

The start of the second half saw CIU get within ten points at the 18:45 mark by a score of 46-36, before the second half surge by the Buffaloes ensued in Steve Lacy Fieldhouse. The next twelve minutes of game action would see the Buffs take full control of the game, grasping a commanding 80-49 lead with 6:08 to go. This stretch saw the Buffs outscore CIU 34-13. From that point, Milligan eased their way to the finish line with a 89-63 victory, as they shot 16-of-30 (53.3%) from the floor in the latter half of the contest. 

Overall, the Buffaloes had five different players finish with double-figure scoring numbers. McCaskill Rivers finished the game with 20 points, going 8-of-13 from the field. Sam Gold put up 19 points on a stellar 8-of-12 shooting line. Handje Tamba was able to chip in with 12 points of his own. Luke Lentz was dialed in from three-point range, when given the chance, going 3-of-5; which was good enough to finish with 11 points. Elijah Bredwood led the way off the bench, as he finished with 14 points on 50% shooting from the field.  

Finn McClure's four assists led the way for the squad, as Rivers had three to place second on the roster. Bredwood had two, while Gold, Tamba and Piripi Korent added one each. 

Jayme Peay hauled in eight rebounds for Milligan, with Tamba and Gold tying for second with five apiece. Rivers and Bredwood supplied four each, and McClure and Korent each notched three. Flynn Carlson brought home the last two backboards. 

Korent led the team in steals with three, while Gold supplied two thefts and a rejection. Tamba added two blocks, and Peay and Bredwood both had single steals. 

With another huge win under their belt, the Buffs will hit the road on Wednesday, Feb. 5 for an AAC trip to Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.