Graceland Men’s Basketball Falls to Columbia on the Road

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Graceland University Yellowjackets men's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling 93–66 to the Columbia College Cougars at the Southwell Complex. With the result, Graceland moves to 1-1 overall, while Columbia improves to 3-0 on the year.

Columbia opened the game on a decisive run, taking control early with a 24-point first-half lead and never looking back. Graceland trailed 47–23 at halftime, hindered by a 23.1% field goal percentage and just three made three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. Columbia countered with an efficient 47.4% shooting mark and hit six threes before the break.

Graceland improved offensively in the second half, shooting 34.5% from the field and 26.7% from three, but the deficit proved too great to overcome. The Yellowjackets allowed Columbia to shoot 60% in the second half, as the Cougars maintained control on both ends of the court.

Deundra Roberson led Graceland in scoring with 16 points, going 4-of-11 from three and a perfect 4-of-4 at the free throw line. Cole Bowen added 13 points and six rebounds, converting 7-of-10 free throws, while Kaamil Domingo came off the bench posting a double-double, recording 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Graceland's offense struggled to establish rhythm, finishing the game 16-of-55 from the field (29.1%) and 7-of-33 from three-point range (21.2%). The Yellowjackets did manage to get to the free throw line 40 times, converting 67.5% (27-of-40).

Columbia, meanwhile, had five players score in double figures, led by Max Rieger's 20 points off the bench. The Cougars outscored the Yellowjackets 26-14 in second-chance points and controlled the paint, posting a 40-18 edge in paint scoring. Columbia also held a +12 rebounding margin (44-32) and capitalized on Graceland's missed opportunities.

Head coach Todd Lorenson addressed the team's performance postgame, "We played a really good program on their court. I'm disappointed that we didn't compete earlier in the game and by the time we decided to match their energy and effort it was a 30-point game. Getting smacked is never enjoyable, but this might be the exact thing we needed early in the year to reach our full potential."

Despite the setback, Graceland's bench provided a lift, scoring 22 of the team's 66 total points, highlighted by contributions from Max Black (6 points, 2-of-2 from three) and Tyson Shaw (5 points, 5-of-6 FT).

Graceland will look to bounce back at home in its next contest, hosting Faith Baptist Bible College on Monday, Nov. 3 at 6:00 p.m. CST inside the Morden Center in Lamoni, Iowa.

For more information on Graceland men's basketball and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com