Men fall to Columbus, let double-digit halftime lead slip away against Montevallo

The Georgia College men’s basketball team (9-6 overall, 3-4 Peach Belt Conference) suffered a tough overtime loss in their Jan. 22 home game against Montevallo.

Sophomore point guard Ryan Legates has had two solid games in a row, first a career-high 22 points at the Columbus State game and topping that effort with 27 points against Montevallo. Unfortunately both came in losing efforts. Legates led four teammates who all had double-digit scoring efforts against Montevallo. He was followed by junior forward Ryan Aquino’s 16 points. Junior guard Jared Holmes added 15 points, and 13 points came from senior forward Reece Wiedeman. Overall there were seven score ties, and the lead changed back-and-forth seven times as well during Saturday’s game.

On Jan. 19, the Bobcats also lost against Columbus State 67-59. Along with Legates’ career-high, senior forward Josh Hurt had a career high of his own, making eighth place for most rebounds in the history of Georgia College basketball with a record of 482. Aquino, Hurst and Legates all led the team with five total rebounds each at the Columbus State game, while Aquino and Legates each also had three assists, followed by junior forward Mike Augustine with his two assists. Overall the Bobcats made 42 percent of the shots taken, but unfortunately were still out-rebounded.

“The beginning of the year we were struggling offensively and were most consistent with defense. Now, we have been out-rebounded the last two games. We’ve got to come back, back to work, after a few days rest for the guys,” Head Coach Terry Sellers said after the losses.

Georgia College opened the Montevallo game with high intensity, with Holmes hitting the first shot of the game. The game’s score was bouncing back-and-forth early on with each side trading baskets. Aquino led the game with ten rebounds, while Holmes lead the team with five assists, followed by four assists coming from Legates, and three from both, guard red shirt sophomore Nate Hamilton and Aquino. The Bobcats maintained a lead with some spectacular plays by Holmes and Wiedeman along with the rest of the team, and with that, they were able to open up a 12 point advantage at the half, 45-33.

With 3:36 on the clock in the second half, Georgia College was on top, until Montevallo’s forward Robert Severtsgaard made both of his free throws to tie the game 69-69. It was a wild finish in regulation with both teams having their opportunities to win this tough fought battle.

With only 38 seconds on the clock left in the second half, Legates gained Georgia College its one-point lead at the end of the game but Severtsgaard was fouled and had a chance to win it for the road team, but was only able to make one of his free-throws, tying up the game, sending them both to overtime. Feelings from both teams were running high as the clock was set for its five minutes of overtime game. Within the first 19 seconds, Legates hit a layup gaining the lead once again for the Bobcats. It was high intensity, lots of sweat, but the Bobcats didn’t recover after Montevallo’s guard Jonas Brown’s three-pointer at the 1:57 mark; despite Holmes’ making one of his two free throws, gaining the team one point closer, after being fouled by Brown himself.

“As a team we need more rebounding– and rebounding is mostly heart, we need to work on that” Wiedeman said after also losing to Montevallo.

Regardless of the losses, the team knows that they need to take come back in, still positive, full of heart, set on working on rebounds and be willing to do what it takes to perfect their attention and win.

“We’ve got to lace up the shoe laces, go to work, and compete,” Sellers said encouragingly after the game.

The Bobcats are back on the court Jan. 28 at Frances Marion at 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 30 at UNC Pembroke beginning at 3:30 p.m..