Men's Basketball Scores Over 100 Points in Blowout Win

COLUMBIA, SC - The Columbia College men's basketball team achieved another first on Wednesday night scoring 100 points for the first time ever while also winning by their biggest margin to date, with a 19-point win, 106-87, over visiting St. Andrews University.

The 4th win at home for the Koalas improves the first year program to 5-1 overall and now 1-0 in conference play, also their first ever AAC victory.

Each team got off to slow starts to begin the contest before CC ran out to a 12-2 lead with 14 minutes to play. Columbia would extend it out to a 13-point margin multiple times throughout the first half leading 27-14 midway through. The Koalas would then head into the halftime break up by 16, leading 48-32.

Columbia then continued to increase their lead stretching it out to 32 points at the 17 minute mark to lead 66-34. SAU would whittle it down somewhat, but could get no closer than 17 points the rest of the way as Columbia cruised to the win. CC crossed the 100-point plateau with an emphatic dunk from 7-footer James Munlyn off an assist from Alvaro Mendez with 2 minutes to play sending the crowd into a roar. Then, reserve guard Norman Haynes came into the game and gave the crowd more to cheer about when he knocked down his first career three-pointer with 20 seconds to play.

The Koalas shot nearly 45 percent for the game led by 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals off the bench from guard Austin Harrell while junior guard Tae Burton also finished in double-figures scoring 13 points with 7 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench. Mendez and fellow guard AJ Vaught combined for 13 points and 9 assists while Mendez brought down 5 rebounds also.

Three other Koalas finished in double-figures as well as the duo of junior wings Chandler O'Bannon and Thomas Whitley combined for 27 points and 15 rebounds with Whitley tying fellow junior forward Nakia Johnson with a team-high nine rebounds on the night. Senior guard Kendall Brasfield also played well scoring 15 points with 4 steals on 6 of 11 shooting. O'Bannon shot 6 of 8 and had 6 boards and a block.

Columbia is next in action on Friday when they travel up to Bluefield University for a 6 PM AAC matchup.

Pictured below is guard Austin Harrell, courtesy of Hannsen Maneses