Johnny Whysong Scores 23 to Lead CIU Over Paine College 77-68

Johnny Whysong scored 23 points and Gray Madeira added 15 off the bench Friday evening, leading CIU men’s basketball to a 77-68 victory over Paine College at the Moore Fitness Center during Homecoming weekend.

The win marks the first of the 2026-27 season for the Rams, who bounced back from an early deficit to secure the result on their home floor. CIU opened the contest with a 5-2 advantage following a 3-pointer from Tristyn Carrington, but Paine answered as the half progressed. A late scoring stretch from the Lions built a 31-25 lead with under two minutes remaining before halftime.

Whysong helped erase that gap before the break, scoring four consecutive points in the final minute to send the teams into the locker rooms tied at 31. The Rams (1-3) then took control early in the second half behind Whysong and Madeira.

After Paine briefly claimed a 37-35 advantage, Madeira connected from beyond the arc to put CIU ahead for good with 16:37 remaining. Whysong followed with a basket, and Madeira added two more 3-pointers over the next four minutes, stretching the lead to 50-43.

Paine continued to press, trimming the deficit to two points midway through the period and later pulling within four at 64-60 with 5:25 left on the clock. Rhett Warga answered with a putback basket, and Jeffrey Clark II sank two free throws to restore an eight-point cushion. Warga added six points in the final three minutes to help seal the game.

Whysong finished 10-of-15 from the field, racking up 17 of his 23 points in the second half. The senior guard also collected nine rebounds and dished out five assists. Madeira shot 4-of-8 from beyond the arc for his 15 points, while Warga contributed 14 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Clark chipped in eight points and six rebounds.

CIU shot 45.6% overall, won the battle on the boards 44-33, and received 38 points from its bench. The Rams also recorded 17 assists and outscored Paine 36-30 in the paint, according to ciurams.com.

The Rams return to action Monday, Nov. 9, traveling to Milledgeville, Georgia, to face Georgia College in an early-morning contest scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET.

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