ATLANTA – For the second time this season, the Centre men's basketball squad took down Spalding by double figures, winning 70-51 in the Dorough Field House on the campus of Oglethorpe.
 
The Colonels (7-4) have now won five consecutive games – the first of which was a 72-52 home victory against the Golden Eagles (2-9) back on Nov. 27.
 
RJ Smith neared a career high with 22 points in the win, followed by 16 points from fellow senior Dustin Gerald.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
- The opening stages of the contest proved to be a defensive struggle between the Golden Eagles and the Gold and White. Centre led 12-8 more than 10 minutes into the game as the two sides combined to shoot 8 of 30 overall with nine turnovers.
- Spalding took its first lead of the game at 16-14 with seven minutes left in the period, and the Colonels responded with a 20-4 run, ending the half up by 34-23. Smith was responsible for 16 points across the opening 20 minutes.
- The Golden Eagles maintained a single digit deficit through the first two media breaks of the second half, but a 10-2 Centre stretch from the under-12 to the under-8 timeout put the game out of reach.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Smith totaled more than 20 points for the third time this season and second time in the previous three games. He also hauled in a team-high nine rebounds.
- Gerald, like Smith, has scored in double figures every game this season, finishing Thursday with 16 points to go with eight boards and a team-leading three assists.
- Carter Baughman opened the game with a 3-pointer and hit three more to total 12 points. He is 23-for-42 (55%) from long range during Centre's five-game winning streak.
- Centre held Spalding to just 18 of 62 (29%) overall from the floor, including a 6 of 23 (26%) mark from deep. The total field goals and shooting percentage were the lowest by any Colonel opponent this season.
- The Colonels held a 41-35 rebounding advantage
- One day after Carson Wooldridge scored his first collegiate points, Philippe N'Dia and Jayden Blanton also recorded their own first career points.
 
UP NEXT
Centre kicks off 2022 next Monday, Jan. 3, with a home meeting against Sewanee at 3 p.m. The Colonels handed the Tigers a 96-68 defeat when the two teams met in Tennessee earlier this month.