CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Auburn University at Montgomery men's basketball team (3-16; GSC: 1-12) fell to the Delta State Statesmen (8-10; GSC: 5-8), 76–62, on Thursday evening at the Walter Sillers Coliseum.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
The contest opened with Jamarious Martin attacking the rim for a layup and completing the three-point play at the free-throw line. Marius Canery followed by getting on the board with a free throw, while Elhadji Thiam quickly made his presence felt, knocking down a jumper before adding a free throw of his own. Thiam continued to pressure the Delta State defense, finishing a fast-break opportunity with a strong bucket in the paint.
Colby Williams answered with a jumper, and Thiam added another layup to keep the offense rolling. Martin buried a three-pointer, while Ti'Avian Scruggs converted twice in the paint. Williams capitalized on a Delta State turnover for two points, and Devin Barksdale joined the scoring column with a three-pointer. As the half wound down, Barksdale added a jumper to keep AUM within striking distance.
The Warhawks trailed 34–35 before Delta State responded with a three, but AUM closed the half strong. Canery knocked down a jumper and followed it up with a three-pointer off a Statesmen turnover to give the Warhawks a brief 39–38 edge. Delta State answered at the free-throw line, sending the teams into halftime deadlocked at 39–39.
Second Half
The second half opened with Williams getting the first bucket. Delta State quickly responded with a 10–0 run, putting AUM down 41–59. Williams ended the streak by going to the line and knocking down both free throws. Canery added a layup and converted a free throw, keeping the Warhawks within striking distance.
Martin hit his second three-pointer of the night off an assist from Elhadji Thiam, who later threw down a dunk to close the gap to 51–60. Williams and Canery each scored layups, showing resilience from the Warhawks, and Canery closed out the scoring with a rebound-and-putback layup of his own. Despite the late push, Auburn Montgomery fell 62–76 to Delta State.
Notables
Marius Canery led the Warhawks in scoring with 17 points, adding 7 rebounds and 3-of-6 from three-point range.
Elhadji Thiam dominated the glass with 14 rebounds, while contributing 9 points.
Colby Williams added 14 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line, and grabbed 8 rebounds.
Jamarious Martin scored 13 points, including 2 three-pointers, and played a team-high 38 minutes.
The Warhawks as a team scored 30 points in the paint and tallied 9 points from the bench.
AUM finished with 41 total rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
The Warhawks went 11 for 16 at the free throw line (68.8%).
Up Next
AUM will stay on a road for a GSC matchup against Mississippi College in Clinton Mississippi, set for 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31.
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