Fayette, Mo. – Justin Boyer came off the bench to spark the Columbia College men's basketball team with 10-straight points in the first half, helping lead the Cougars to a 72-50 win at Central Methodist University on Thursday in Fayette, Mo.
 
With the victory, Columbia improved to 4-0, while Central Methodist dropped to 3-2. The Cougars are off to their best start since the 2017-18 season, when they opened the year with nine-straight wins.
 
AJ Walker led the Cougars with 12 points, while Boyer and Max Rieger added 10 points each. Columbia limited Central Methodist to a season-low 34.5 percent shooting percentage (20-58), including 5-of-24 from three-point range.
 
The Cougars hit 16-of-21 (76.2 percent) from the free-throw line in the win and had a 29-13 advantage in bench points.
 
Columbia scored 17 straight points to build a 17-4 lead, holding the Spartans to just 2-of-12 shooting from the field to start the contest. Boyer capped the run with eight consecutive points on a pair of three-pointers.
 
Adam Sausele knocked down a corner three to extend the lead to 25-8, and another 8-0 Cougar run pushed the margin to 33-12 with 3:43 left in the half.
 
Columbia took a 43-19 advantage into the break after holding Central Methodist to 33.3 percent (9-27) shooting, including just 1-of-10 from beyond the arc. Boyer led the Cougars with 10 points in the half.
 
Columbia opened the second half with six straight points to extend the lead to 30 (53-23), and a three-pointer by Jace Eskew pushed the margin to 59-24 with 10:50 remaining.
 
Tommie Williams scored 12 points and Isaiah Reams added 10 for CMU, which went just 5-of-12 from the free-throw line in the loss.
 
The Cougars play at Mount Mercy University on Saturday, Nov. 8 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
 
NOTES: Columbia snapped a two-game losing streak to CMU and leads the all-time series 35-20 ... The Cougars are allowing 59.8 points per game during the four-game win streak ... Jemeal Goines added eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds.