MILLEDGEVILLE, GA – Georgia Southwestern State University won their first-ever PBC men’s basketball tournament semifinal game on Thursday, beating second-seeded Georgia College 75-56 in the Centennial Center. With that win, the third-seeded Hurricanes advance to the PBC Tournament championship game for the first time and will face top-seeded Flagler College on Sunday at 4pm at the Flagler Gymnasium in St. Augustine, Fla.
Georgia Southwestern shot 52% from the field while holding the Bobcats to 37% from the floor and 16% (5-31) from three-point range.
GSW was led by 18 points from Dontevius Tatum while Devon Higgs added 11 points, a team-high nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Four ‘Canes reached double-digit scoring with Kahlon Whitley adding 15 and Jarrett Adderton 12.
Luke Chism was the only Bobcat to reach double-digit scoring with 10 points. Wesley Simpson added nine points and six rebounds, tied for the team lead in rebounding with Christian Koneman. Chapin Rierson also scored nine.
GSW never trailed in the game and after the score was tied 2-2 in the first two minutes. GC closed the gap to one at 7-6 following a Simpson layup with 15:21 to go in the first, but GSW responded with seven straight points sparked by a three from Whitley. That lead grew to double-digits with six minutes to play in the half following a Tatum layup, but GC answered with a 12-4 run that cut the lead to three with 4:24 in the first.
Whitley again answered with a three from GSW and the Hurricanes scored the final seven points of the half to lead 33-23 at the break.
GC trailed by 13 in the early moments of the second half, but scored seven straight points to cut the lead to six with 17:42 to go. But that would be as close as they would get as shooting woes kept the Bobcats off the scoreboard for the next five minutes. GSW maintained their fast-paced approach, outscoring GC 40-32 in the paint and racking up 24 fast-break points to GC’s 12.
GSW scored 10 straight while GC could not find a point, part of a 15-1 run that, in essence, decided the game. A pair of Baris Ulker free throws boosted the lead to 21 with 11:34 to go and grew to as much as 27 with 4:01 to play following an Adderton jumper.
The winner of Sunday’s PBC Championship game will receive the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Georgia College was ranked #3 in the latest NCAA south regional poll and is in great shape to earn an at-large bid. Georgia Southwester was ranked #6 in the poll, but should move up following the win over GC. Flagler is ranked #1 in the region.
Tickets for the PBC Championship game will go on sale on Friday at 10am here.