The Georgia Gwinnett College men's basketball team capped its historic inaugural 2025-26 campaign with a 66-53 loss to Hope International University on Friday night in Fullerton, California, in a First Round game of the NAIA tournament.

The No. 3-seeded Royals (24-6) used a 14-4 offensive run over a four-minute span at the midway point of the first half to build a commanding 24-11 lead.

A 3-point field goal from junior Devontre Chaney brought the No. 14-seeded Grizzlies (25-7) within 10 points, at 33-23, with 13 seconds left of the first half. However, Hope International's Jorren Edmonds buried a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to stretch the halftime lead to 36-23.

GGC's 53 points were a season low in a game. The team made just four of its 29 shots from behind the 3-point arc (13.8 percent) for the game, and had 13 of its 17 turnovers during the opening 20 minutes of action.

Freshman Patrick Johnson scored a game-high 17 points while having 11 rebounds. Chaney also had a double-double performance with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Amari Morgan tallied nine points.
 
Coach's Corner
"This is a tough pill to swallow. Our offense which has been tremendous all year, let us down in the biggest game of the year. Hope International did a great job making things difficult for us, but we just didn't execute. I am proud of our defensive effort. I thought the guys really guarded. Unfortunately, you've got to make shots and we failed to these last two games. I am really appreciative of the guys, especially the seniors, for trusting our staff this year. We fell short of our goals, but I'm still proud of the kind of teammates and men these guys are," said Head Coach Chase Teichmann.
 
Turning Point
Hope International used a 14-4 offensive run over a four-minute span at the midway point of the first half to build a 24-11 lead. The Royals led by double digits for the rest of the game. GGC scored a season-low 53 points in its first NAIA tournament game.
 
Inside The Numbers

• Hope International shot 42.4 percent from the floor, compared to GGC making 32.1 percent of its field goals
• Both teams recorded eight steals
• The Grizzlies grabbed 41 rebounds on Friday
• Freshman Patrick Johnson had 17 points and 11 rebounds to have a double-double performance

News & Notes

• GGC concludes the 2025-26 season with a 25-7 record; Hope International improves to 24-6 this winter
• Hope International was ranked No. 8 in the final regular-season NAIA Top 25 poll
• The Grizzlies were the No. 14 seed in the Cramer Quadrant; Hope International stood as the No. 3 seed in the same bracket
• Georgia Gwinnett College played its first NAIA postseason game on Friday