The St. Thomas University men's basketball traveled to Brunswick, Georgia, to face College of Coastal Georgia in their return to the court in the new year.
The squad dropped their their game against the Mariners by a final score of 72-82, but showed positives throughout the game.
The St. Thomas University Bobcats dropped a tough contest to the College of Coastal Georgia Mariners on the road, 82-72, despite a strong first-half performance.
St. Thomas came out strong in the first half, shooting 56% from the field in the opening half, with efficient shooting from beyond the arc (40%) and solid free-throw shooting (80%).
The Bobcats held a slight lead during the opening twenty minutes, thanks to a balanced offensive attack. Noah Tovar led the way for St. Thomas with 12 points in the half, including four three-pointers, while Dalon Dean added 8 points, keeping the Bobcats in the game with timely buckets.
However, Coastal Georgia's offense also clicked in the first half. Led by the hot shooting of Kaden McArthur (14 points in the half), the Mariners shot 46.67% from the field and 60% from three-point range. Salle Wilson added 9 points to give Coastal Georgia a 42-40 lead entering the half.
The Mariners came out strong in the second half, shooting a more efficient 48.4% from the field. Kaden McArthur continued his strong day by adding 7 points in the second half to finish with 21 total points, leading Coastal Georgia. Meanwhile, St. Thomas' offense cooled in the second half, shooting just 34.4% from the field and struggling from beyond the arc (25%).
Despite Noah Tovar's 8 second-half points, including a pair of three-pointers, St. Thomas was unable to keep Coastal Georgia's scoring down the stretch. Adrian Cruz (9 points) and Dalon Dean (14 points) fought hard but the team struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm in the final 20 minutes. The Mariners extended their lead to as many as 15 points, aided by a strong bench performance, which contributed 30 points in total.
The Bobcats will look to bounce back in their next game on Saturday, January 11 as they return to Miami Gardens in their first game of the New Year as they welcome in Warner University.
Tip off is TBD.
