Montgomery, Ala. – The College of Coastal Georgia men's basketball team didn't get the result it was looking for as it opened its two-game set here Thursday night at Auburn-Montgomery.

The Mariners were dealt a 79-72 defeat by the Warhawks in a key Southern States Athletic Conference game between two teams battling to qualify for the conference tournament at the end of the year.

The loss dropped the Mariners to 4-17 overall and 2-8 in the SSAC while the Warhawks moved to 10-10 and 4-6 with the victory.

The game was nip-and-tuck for the first 30 minutes, but the Warhawks took control with a 15-2 run that gave them a 70-53 advantage with just over five minutes to go.

That deficit proved too much for the Mariners to overcome, but they did mount a comeback as they battled back to get within six points twice before falling by the final seven-point margin.

Milton Geddes led the Mariners in defeat with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Andrew Reid added 14 points, Obie Foreman scored nine and Reggie Burke and Corey Harris finished with eight apiece.

For the Warhawks, three players finished in double figures including LeShaun Murphy who led all scorers with 20 points. Reggie Brown followed with 19 points while Quay Davis added 16 for the home squad. Brown grabbed 14 rebounds to lead AUM on the glass while recording a double-double. Davis dished out seven assists in the win.

The victory was the third in a row and fifth in seven games for AUM.

The Warhawks will come to Brunswick to face the Mariners on Feb. 19.

Coastal Georgia will remain in Montgomery to face Faulkner on Saturday. The Mariners will be back at home on Feb. 7 for the annual Homecoming game against Dalton State.