CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's basketball team closed out 2018 with an 82-57 loss to Christian Brothers University on Monday night in A.E. Wood Coliseum.
 
The Choctaws fell to 4-5 on the season with a 1-3 mark in the Gulf South Conference, while the Bucs improved to 7-4 with a 3-1 league mark.
 

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TURNING POINT
 
The Bucs put the game away mid-way through the second half as they used a 16-0 run to push the advantage out to 73-43 with just over seven minutes remaining.
 

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HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Sophomore Dyllan Taylor gave the Choctaws the opening points of the game with a layup, making the score 2-0 with 18:36 to go in the first half.
 
Senior Marcus Lytle nailed a three-pointer with 13:27 remaining and the Choctaws would take a 14-13 lead.
 
The Bucs, however, would use a 17-4 run over the next seven minutes to take a 30-18 lead with 6:13 remaining in the first 20 minutes.
 
With 3:08 to go, CBU would grab their largest lead of the first half at 16 points as Luke Rudy nailed a three-pointer to make the score 40-24.
 
The Choctaws would also score the final points of the first half as senior Isaiah Austin hit a jumper as time expired to send the game into the break with a score of 44-33.
 
In the second half, the Bucs would not let the lead get lower than 11 and would eventually extend it out to as many as 30 at 73-43.
 
CBU opened a 16-0 run with 11:35 remaining that wrapped up with 7:10 to go on a pair of free throws by Jacob Lyons. 
 

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KEY STATS
 
The teams combined to shoot 56% from the field in the first half as the Choctaws were 14-of-27 (52%) and the Bucs were 18-of-30 (60%).
 
MC struggled from the floor in the second half, shooting just 31% (9-of-29) and going 0-of-6 from the three-point line in the second 20 minutes.
 
Junior Trai James led the Choctaws with 10 points to go along with a season-high seven rebounds and seven assists.
 
Junior Brandon Boston and Lytle would also finish with 10 points apiece to lead MC in scoring.
 
The Bucs finished the game shooting 32-of-56 (57%), including going 10-of-25 (40%) from the three-point line.
 
Joe Laravie had a team-high 24 points, while Luke Rudy poured in 20.
 
Adam Dieball tallied a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
 

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GAME NOTES
 
CBU holds a 9-5 edge in the series, including winning seven straight.
 
They are the only team remaining in the Gulf South Conference that MC has failed to beat since coming back to Division II prior to the 2014-15 academic year.
 

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NEXT UP
 
The Choctaws will be back in action on January 5th when they travel to Carrollton, Ga. to face West Georgia. The next home game will be on Thursday, January 10th against #5 Valdosta State at 7:30 p.m.
 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.

The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.

For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.