COLUMBUS -- The USCB men's basketball team pulled off a monumental upset Saturday afternoon, taking down No. 6 Columbus State 91-87 in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinals at the Frank G. Lumpkin Center. The victory marks USCB's first-ever trip to the PBC Tournament final and the program's first win over a top-10 opponent.
The Sand Sharks (21-9) made history by knocking down a tournament-record 18 three-pointers—a mark that had stood for 16 years—which proved to be the difference in a game where neither team led by more than six points at any point. Four USCB players scored in double figures, with Hudson Norton leading the way with 18 points. Kevaughn Price added 14, while Dylan Lewis (11) and Alejandro Ralat (10) rounded out the foursome. Tasso Sfanos provided key contributions off the bench, scoring eight points. Columbus State, the tournament's top seed, saw its 12-game winning streak snapped despite Jarrett Adderton's 23-point effort. The Cougars struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 31 percent, which was no match for USCB's record-setting performance from deep.
From the opening tip, the game was a tightly contested shootout. USCB started hot behind Ralat, who drilled the first bucket of the game from beyond the arc. Columbus State quickly answered with a three of its own from Adderton, setting the tone for what would be a high-scoring affair.
USCB leaned heavily on its perimeter shooting, knocking down eight three-pointers in the first half. Lewis and Norton each connected from long range, helping the Sand Sharks keep pace with Columbus State's dominance in the paint. The Cougars, led by Jehloni James and Wisdom Uboh, capitalized on second-chance opportunities and controlled the interior.
The lead changed hands 11 times in the first half alone, with neither team able to create significant separation. USCB briefly went up by six with just over five minutes left in the period, but CSU responded with an 11-6 run, capped off by a buzzer-beating jumper from Uboh, to send the game into halftime tied at 41-41.
Columbus State came out aggressive to start the second half, opening with a 6-0 run. However, USCB refused to back down. Krishen Atwal and Norton splashed back-to-back three-pointers to even the score at 49. Moments later, a fast-break jumper from Nolan Paladugu put the Sand Sharks back in front.
The game continued at a breakneck pace, with Columbus State attacking the paint while USCB countered with its lethal perimeter shooting. Midway through the half, the Sand Sharks put together a crucial 10-4 run, fueled by three-pointers from Lewis and Ralat, to take a five-point lead—their largest since leading 35-29 in the first half.
Columbus State clawed back once more behind Adderton's mid-range shooting, cutting the deficit to 85-84. But USCB had one more dagger left, as Dominic Eason drained the team's record-breaking 18th three-pointer to extend the lead to 88-84. Down the stretch, Kenney Gaines sealed the victory, going 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.
With the biggest win in program history, the Sand Sharks now set their sights on the PBC Championship game against rival USC Aiken, aiming to cap off their Cinderella run with a title. The teams split the regular-season series, each winning on their home court. Tipoff for the championship final is set for 3 p.m. in Columbus.
