The Georgia Gwinnett College men's basketball team overcame a 13-point halftime deficit, only to take a second half lead, but eventually suffered an 88-80 loss to the University of Saint Mary (Kansas) to close out the Tulsa Challenge on Saturday evening in Skiatook, Oklahoma.

Saint Mary (2-0) closed the first half on a 13-1 run to take a 47-34 advantage into the locker room at halftime. The lead grew to 16 points, at 56-40, following a jump shot from Damare Smith with 16:41 left in the game.

That's when the Grizzlies (3-2) began their comeback. A 3-point field goal from junior Devontre Chaney brought GGC within seven points, at 56-49, with 14:37 remaining. Later, a three-point play by freshman Patrick Johnson tied the contest at 57-57. A pair of free throws from Johnson capped a 23-2 run for the team to take a 63-58 lead.

However, back-to-back 3-pointers from Kaeden Bonner gave the Spires a 69-66 advantage with seven minutes left in the contest. Saint Mary built a 75-67 lead after a layup by Cam Edwards at the 5:32 mark.

Bonner registered a game-high 32 points on 8-of-9 shooting from behind the 3-point field goal arc.

Meanwhile, GGC relied on a balanced offensive attack, with five players being in double figures. Senior Deonte' Martinez scored 20 points and had five assists. Senior Drew Kramer made four 3-point field goals while having 14 points and junior Devontre Chaney recorded another double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Johnson also chipped in 13 points and junior Jahiem Berry scored 11 points off the bench for GGC.

The Grizzlies shot 44.3 percent from the floor and connected 11 3-point field goals.
 
Coach's Corner
"It's frustrating to not put together two halves against good teams. We made a great run and showed flashes of what we can be for 8-10 minutes. However, the standard has to be for us play well for the entire 40 minutes. We strung together stops during the comeback which makes playing offense easier. We learned about ourselves this weekend and are looking forward to getting back on the practice court to improve as a team," said Head Coach Chase Teichmann.
 
Turning Point
The second half was a game of offensive runs by both teams. GGC used a 23-2 scoring outburst to take a 63-58 lead with 8:32 left in the game. However, Saint Mary came back to score 17 of the next 21 points over the next three minutes to build a decisive 75-67 advantage.
 
Inside The Numbers

• Saint Mary shot 47.1 percent from the floor, compared to 44.3 percent by the Grizzlies
• GGC made 11 3-point field goals in Saturday's game
• Senior Deonte' Martinez scored 20 points to lead GGC's five double-figure scorers
• The team recorded 15 assists on its 27 made field goals

News & Notes

• GGC drops to 3-2 in 2025-26; Saint Mary improves to 2-0 this winter
• Both teams received votes in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll
• GGC faced two teams that were in last season's NAIA national tournament while competing in the Tulsa Challenge
• This was the first of five tournaments during the team's 2025-26 regular season

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Stillman College (Alabama) on Thursday, November 6, in the Convocation Center, starting at 7 p.m.