Royals Fall to CIU at Home

The Royals men's basketball team battled throughout but came up short in an 82–75 loss to CIU (SC) on Saturday afternoon at Karnes Arena.

CIU held a 34–27 lead at halftime before both teams erupted offensively in the second half, each scoring 48 points. Despite matching CIU basket for basket after the break, the Royals were unable to overcome the early deficit.

Johnson shot 41.4 percent from the field and knocked down eight three-pointers on the afternoon. The Royals also held a rebounding advantage on the offensive glass, pulling down 15 offensive boards to generate second-chance opportunities.

Davon Cottle led Johnson with 17 points while adding four rebounds in 38 minutes of action. Mason Lockhart and Jahmar Brown each chipped in 12 points, with Lockhart grabbing a team-high six rebounds. Livingston Cross contributed 10 points and eight rebounds, and Ja'Kobe Strozier added nine points and four assists off the bench.

CIU was paced by Johnny Whysong's 21-point, 14-rebound performance, while Will Kelly added 20 points and JJ Vaughan scored 19 off the bench. CIU shot 51.7 percent from the field and converted 12-of-16 attempts from the free-throw line.

The Royals trimmed the margin to single digits several times down the stretch but were unable to string together enough stops late as CIU closed out the win from the free-throw line.

Johnson moves to 4-10 overall and 4-3 in conference play following the setback.