Koala Men Fall to #19 Pikeville in first game of 2025

Columbia College Koalas Stumble Against Pikeville in Hard-Fought AAC Basketball Contest

COLUMBIA, SC - In an intriguing AAC basketball showdown at the Godbold Center in Columbia on Saturday, the Columbia College men's basketball team faced a challenging encounter against the 19th ranked Univ. of Pikeville Bears. However, CC ultimately fell short going down 78-65.

The pivotal conference game saw the Koalas trail slightly at halftime with a score of 30-27 setting the stage for a competitive second half.

Despite a robust effort, Columbia College could not bridge the gap in the latter half. Key performances came from senior guard Kendall Brasfield, who led the team with 15 points, followed by junior wing Thomas Whitley with 14 points and 7 rebounds and 4 three-pointers. Senior guard Mac Washington also added 11 points. Junior guard AJ Vaught contributed  7 points and 4 assists while fellow junior guard Tae Burton also had 7 points, 3 rebounds and a steal off the bench.

The game highlighted the team's continued determination and skill as they trimmed a 20-point deficit to 9 points with a 9-0 run midway through the half, yet Pikeville maintained a strong lead to secure the victory. Pikeville shot 50 percent overall but just 24 percent from three while the Koalas shot nearly 41% overall while making 1/3 of their threes (33%) and 81% of their free throws. Pikeville had just a slight edge in rebounds at 35-30 over the Koalas.

Columbia College's current season record stands at 9-6 overall and 2-5 in the AAC while UPike improves to 14-3 and 7-2 in AAC.

The Koalas now look forward to redeeming themselves in their next game against AAC foe Montreat, set to take place at UNC-Asheville on Tuesday. This upcoming matchup promises to be an important opportunity for the Koalas to improve their conference standing and showcase their resilience.