A valiant rally over the final five minutes came up short for the Georgia Gwinnett College men's basketball team in a 101-98 setback to Johnson University (Tennessee) on Athletic Hall of Fame Night in the Convocation Center on Friday evening.

The Grizzlies (14-6) trimmed a 10-point deficit to two points on multiple occasions down the stretch.

With 20 seconds left, GGC had possession following a timeout and trailing 99-96. Johnson (7-11) elected to foul freshman Mario Hill Jr., who successfully hit both free throws to bring the hosts within a point with 10 seconds remaining.

Johnson proceeded to move the ball effectively around the court until the Grizzlies committed a foul with just three seconds left. Jahmar Brown calmly stepped up and made both free throws.
GGC was unable to attempt a potential game-tying 3-point shot before time expired.

The Grizzlies trailed 91-81 with five minutes remaining before quickly rattling off eight straight points to set up the exciting finish. Hill Jr. converted a three-point play with 4:03 remaining. Then, senior Drew Kramer hit a 3-point field goal on the next offensive possession to bring GGC within two points, at 91-89, with 3:35 left on the clock.

A dunk from freshman Patrick Johnson brought the hosts within a point, at 92-91, with just under three minutes remaining.

The Royals scored six straight points to build its advantage back to seven points, at 98-91, following a layup from Ja'Kobe Strozier with 41 seconds left.

GGC trailed 57-46 at halftime after Johnson's Dallas Carbaugh scored 22 of his game-high 30 points in the opening 20 minutes of action. The visitors made 59.5 percent of their field goals to build the lead.

Senior Manny Montgomery scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor to lead GGC's offensive effort. Hill Jr. came off the bench to add 18 points. Junior Jahiem Berry also had 18 points as the Grizzlies placed five players in double figures.

Senior Drew Kramer hit three 3-pointers to score 17 points and senior Deonte' Martinez chipped in with 11 points.

During halftime festivities, GGC's Office of Athletics recognized its inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class, honoring former men's tennis All-American Kevin Konfederak, softball All-American Niki Cook and former national championship tennis head coach Chase Hodges.
 
Coach's Corner
"Once again, our play gave the opposing teams supreme confidence. Our offense was not an issue," said Head Coach Chase Teichmann.
 
Turning Point
GGC cut a 99-91 deficit to within a one-point margin with a furious finish in the final minute. Freshman Mario Hill Jr. converted a three-point play before draining two free throws with 10 seconds left. However, Johnson successfully made two more free throws with three seconds remaining to pull away again. GGC was unable to get a potential game-tying 3-point shot off before time expired.
 
Inside The Numbers

• Johnson connected on 58.3 percent of its field goals, compared to 52 percent shooting for the Grizzlies
• Senior Manny Montgomery scored a career-high 21 points on Friday
• GGC outrebounded the Royals by a 32-31 margin
• The team had 18 assists throughout the 40 minutes of action

News & Notes

• GGC drops to 14-6 on the season; Johnson improves to 7-11 in 2025-26
• The Grizzlies received votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• Five GGC players were double-figure scorers in the contest
• The team registered 60 points in the paint

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to Spartanburg Methodist College on Wednesday, January 21, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, starting at 7:30 p.m.