CARROLLTON, Ga. --- Mississippi College fought hard all the way to the final buzzer on Wednesday afternoon with the West Georgia Wolves in GSC play, before falling at the end by a final score of 67-58.
In the first half of action on Wednesday, the Wolves took the early advantage jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the opening minutes of play.
Galen Smith helped the Choctaws get onto the board with four points in the first three minutes as MC used a 6-2 run to make it a one-point game with 17:07 on the clock.
Midway through the first half, UWG controlled the scoreboard with a seven-point advantage, leading 19-12. MC made it a 25-22 score with four minutes left on a
Miles Miller three-pointer to make it a one possession game. West Georgia went on to take a four-point lead, 28-24, into the break.
In the second half, MC tied up the contest at 33-33 with 14:41 on the clock, before taking their first lead of the afternoon in Carrollton on a free throw made by
Galen Smith, giving MC the 34-33 advantage.
MC and UWG traded leads back and forth with one another underneath five minutes remaining in the contest, maintaining a one possession lead of each other. The Choctaws led 53-51 with four minutes left, before a UWG 5-0 run put the Wolves ahead 56-53 with 3:14 on the clock.Â
With 2:39 left, UWG led 60-58, before going on a 7-0 run down the stretch to ultimately take the victory by a final score of 67-58 over the Choctaws.
MC had three scorers finish with double-digit points on the night, being led by
Tradavis Thompson with 14 points.
Galen Smith tallied 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting, finishing with eight rebounds, two steals, and one blocked shot.Â
Bee McCrary had 10 points for MC, including a team best four steals.
Justin Reid led MC with nine rebounds and contributed five points.Â
The Choctaws finished 20-of-51 from the field for 39.2 percent shooting. Mississippi College out rebounded the Wolves 39-34 on the night, while also finishing with 32 points in the paint.
MC falls to 8-7 overall on the season and 5-7 in Gulf South Conference play after the loss. The Choctaws return to the court on Monday, January 9, back at home where they will take on Tougaloo. Both teams will tip-off beginning at 7 p.m. at the A.E. Wood Coliseum in Clinton, Miss.Â
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