Box Score

The IU Columbus men's basketball team struggled to find their shooting rhythm Friday night, falling to Blue Mountain Christian University by a score of 88-70 in McKenzie, Tennessee.

Despite a strong offensive showing from freshman Owen Law, who came off the bench to score a team-high 19 points including three 3-pointers, the Crimson Pride couldn't overcome a challenging shooting night. The team shot just 33.8% from the field compared to Blue Mountain Christian's efficient 50%.

Gavin Dowling worked hard in the paint, contributing 14 points and 5 rebounds, but the Crimson Pride found themselves trailing 47-30 at halftime and couldn't close the gap. Nathan Pickett provided a spark off the bench with 11 points, including three shots from beyond the arc.

Blue Mountain Christian was led by Jason Hunt's 27-point performance on 10-of-15 shooting. The Toppers dominated the glass, outrebounding IUC 37-30, with Israel Momodu grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with his 16 points.

The Crimson Pride showed moments of promise from long range, connecting on 8 three-pointers, but ultimately couldn't match Blue Mountain Christian's offensive efficiency. Bryan Maxey added 16 points for the Toppers, who shot an impressive 61.1% from three-point range.

IU Columbus will look to capture their first win of the season in their next contest, Saturday, November 9, in the second game of the Chick-fil-A Classic against Bethel University (TN) at 4:00 pm.