COLUMBUS, Ga. ----- Desmond DeRamus scored a career-high 25 points, but the Auburn Montgomery men's basketball team could not overcome a slow first half, as it fell to Columbus State 87-71 Saturday.

NOTES
• With the loss, the Warhawks fell to 4-11 overall on the year.
• Columbus State improved to 8-1.
• DeRamus bettered his previous career high by one point, improving on the 24 points he scored at West Alabama on Dec. 3, 2016.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• DeRamus finished 10-of-20 from the field, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc. He also converted both free throws he attempted. DeRamus added seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal.
• Julius McCoy scored 13 points off the bench, hitting three 3-pointers in 22 minutes.
• Darrion Taylor had 10 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals.
• Kameron Hornbuckle tallied eight points and six rebounds, five of which were on the offensive end.
• Romoane Eager had four points, seven assists and six rebounds off the bench.
• The trio of Darius Joell, JaCori Payne and Arben Camaj each had 18 points for the Cougars.
• Marcus Dixon had six points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Hornbuckle gave the Warhawks their lone lead of the game with a free throw just 1:09 into the contest.
• Taylor hit a trey with 16:29 remaining in the first half to pull AUM to within 7-6, but the Cougars used a 27-10 run, capped by a Camaj jumper with 5:43 to left in the half, to open up a 34-16 lead.
• Columbus State outscored the Warhawks down the stretch 11-9 and took a 45-20 lead at halftime.
• The Cougars led by as many as 22 points several times in the second half, including as late as 11:47 following a dunk by Antonio Bishop.
• The Warhawks trimmed the deficit to 10 points, 75-65, when Jarett Croff with 3:23 to play.
• A McCoy trey with 1:18 pulled the Warhawks back to within 10 points, 81-71, but the Cougars scored the final six points of the game to provide the final margin.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The Warhawks converted 40.9 percent of their shots for the game, but just 29 percent in the first half. AUM hit 8-of-22 shots from 3-point range and 9-of-15 shots from the charity stripe.
• The Cougars finished 30-of-57 from the field, including 7-of-16 from distance. Columbus State also hit 20-of-30 shots from the free throw line.
• AUM committed just nine turnovers, while Columbus State committed 15. Each team had 12 points off turnovers.
• The Cougars held a 45-30 advantage in total rebounds, but just a 19-16 lead on the offensive boards. CSU held a 16-15 lead in second-chance points.
 
UP NEXT
The Warhawks will return to action Monday, Jan. 2, when they entertain Montevallo at 5:30 p.m.