BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Southeastern University's tough opening seven minutes proved to be too much, as Coastal Georgia held on for the 91-81 win in Sun Conference men's basketball action.
After the teams exchanged opening baskets, Coastal Georgia scored the next nine points and never trailed the rest of the way. The Mariners outscored the Fire 21-4 over a seven-minute period for a 23-6 advantage. The Fire fought back late, as Joshua Blazquez cut the margin to 10 points with two free throws and Ahmad Johnson connected on a jump shot for an 86-78 deficit with 1:32 left. However, the Mariners held on in the final 90 seconds for the win.
Both Johnson and Nelson Reynolds pumped in 20 points apiece for the Fire. Johnson made 8 of 14 attempts with four 3-pointers and grabbed six boards. Off the bench, Reynolds hit 7 of 12 shots, including six treys, and had two boards.
On the inside, Nathan Mikkelson shot 5-of-10 for 15 points and eight rebounds. Ja'Quay Randolph added six points and four rebounds. Blazquez, Kyonte Thomas and Montez Leath each chipped in five points and Diego Platas had four.
The Mariners got 27 points from both Salle Wilson and Kaden McArthur.
With the loss, SEU (2-4/1-1 Sun Conference) saw its seven-game win streak against Coastal Georgia (3-3/2-0) come to an end. On a bright note, the Fire outscored the home team by a 43-39 margin in the second half.
The Fire will look to bounce back when they travel to Miami Gardens on Saturday to face St. Thomas University. Tip-off is at 4 p.m..
