RIO GRANDE, Ohio — Carolina University Men's Basketball hit the road this weekend to compete in the annual Bevo Francis Classic, playing host Rio Grande on Friday before facing WVU Tech on Saturday. The Bruins battled through two highly competitive contests, showing strong scoring stretches and significant individual performances despite falling in both matchups.

Day 1 — Rio Grande 91, Carolina University 74

Friday, November 21 — Newt Oliver Arena
 

Carolina opened the Classic with a fast-paced, high-efficiency offensive first half, shooting 69.6% from the field and taking a 43–41 lead into halftime. However, Rio Grande responded with a 50-point second half to pull away late.

Key Performers

• Tristan Kuska: 16 points on 6–8 shooting, 6 rebounds
   

• Enock Rosil: 11 points (5–5 FG), 8 rebounds
   

• Julius Lymon: 11 points, 3 rebounds (5–6 FG)
   

• Bench Production: 36 bench points, paced by Lymon and Rosil
   

Carolina finished the night shooting an impressive 60% from the floor and 46.2% from three, but Rio Grande capitalized on turnovers (34 points off turnovers) to create separation down the stretch.

Day 2 — WVU Tech 90, Carolina University 89 (OT)

Saturday, November 22 — Newt Oliver Arena
 

In one of their most dramatic games of the season, the Bruins jumped out to a commanding 46–33 halftime lead behind hot shooting (61.8% FG). WVU Tech rallied in the second half and forced overtime, where the Golden Bears edged CU by one point.

Key Performers

• Tristan Kuska: 19 points (8–11 FG), 5 rebounds
   

• Julius Lymon: 16 points, 8 rebounds
   

• Shawn Woodson: 14 points, 6 rebounds
   

• Bench Impact: 40 bench points, including 14 from Woodson and 8 from Danso
   

Carolina dominated the paint with 58 points inside, controlled the glass (46 rebounds), and held a 19-point first-half lead, but WVU Tech shot 68% in the second half to mount the comeback.

Coach Jacob Heck's Post-Tournament Thoughts

Head Coach Jacob Heck praised the team's progress but emphasized the need for consistency across both days:

"I'm proud of the way our guys competed this weekend. We showed stretches of really high-level basketball, especially with the way we executed offensively and the energy our bench brought in both games. At the same time, the best teams put complete games together, and that's our next step. These experiences will make us better, and we're committed to growing from them."