Cougars Win Streak Snapped at Central Baptist

Conway, Ark. – The Columbia College men’s basketball team had its eight-game win streak snapped with a 77-76 overtime loss at Central Baptist College on Thursday in a battle of teams receiving votes in the NAIA Top-25 Poll at A.R. Redding Fieldhouse in Conway, Ark.
 
Deshawn Corprew hit a pair of free-throws with 11.4 seconds left to seal the victory for Central Baptist. Trever Moore’s three at the buzzer was off the mark.
 
Central Baptist won its ninth-straight game to improve to 18-4 (8-0 AMC), while Columbia fell to 16-5 (6-2 AMC). The Mustangs have a two-game lead in the AMC standings.
 
Marlon Allen recorded his fourth double-double off the year with a season-high 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Collin Parker had 18 points. Isaiah Holden (13 points, six assists) and Harrison Vickers (10 points) also scored in double figures for the Cougars.
 
Columbia shot 39.4 percent (28-71) from the field in the loss and hit just 5-of-17 from three-point range. The Cougars outrebounded the Mustangs 49-42.
 
Columbia trailed 12-4 in the opening four minutes of play as the Cougars connected on just 1-of-6 shots from the field. The Central Baptist lead grew to 13 (23-10) following a dunk by Christian White with 9:44 to play before half.
 
Kyle Harding nailed back-to-back three-pointers to extend the lead to 29-14, but Parker nailed a jumper and then hit a three to trim the advantage to 34-21.
 
Central Baptist led 42-27 at half behind 11 points from Kyle Harding. The Cougars shot 29.4 percent (10-34) in the first half, and hit 1-of-7 from three-point range. Allen led Columbia with eight points.
 
Columbia scored the first five points of the second half to trim the lead to 10 (42-32), and then a bucket and a pair of free-throws by Allen got the lead down to 44-37. The Cougars went on a 10-0 run to trim a double-digit deficit to five (59-56) with 9:00 to play. Central Baptist went without a field goal for 8:00 during the run.
 
The Mustangs led 64-56, but the Cougars answered with an 8-0 run as Vickers and Parker each had a three to tie the score at 64-64. Columbia led by two with three seconds left, but Corprew hit two free-throws to send the game to overtime.
 
Allen scored five points in overtime and his bucket with 24 seconds left put the Cougars up 76-75.
 
Sage Borbon (15), Corprew (15), Harding (15), Devin Foster (14) and Jonas Carlisle (11) all  scored in double figures for Central Baptist, who hit 11 threes and connected on 11-of-12 from the free-throw line in the win.
 
The Cougars continue their road trip at Williams Baptist on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 3 p.m.
 
NOTES: Columbia leads the all-time series with Central Baptist 13-9, but the Mustangs have won the last two meetings … Central Baptist received 17 votes in the NAIA Top-25 Poll, while Columbia had four.