AMERICUS - Senior Josh Birchfield did just about all he could to help the Georgia Southwestern men's basketball team overcome a 12-point second-half deficit against Georgia College on Monday evening, but the visiting Bobcats sank a pair of 3-pointers in the closing minutes and sank four-consecutive free throws to hold off GSW, 74-71, in the Storm Dome.

The Hurricanes dropped their fourth-straight game and fell to 5-6 overall, 0-4 in the PBC while Georgia College improved to 8-5 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

Birchfield scored 22 points over the final 20 minutes to finish with a career-best 28-point night. He sank 11 of 13 shots in the second half and 13 of 18 overall. His 13 field goals accounted for half of the GSW baskets in the game.

The Hurricanes kicked off their scoring with four-straight 3-pointers. The bomb from Deric Rudolph at the 16:15 mark put GSW ahead 12-9. Georgia College answered with a 10-0 run to lead by seven with 12:46 left in the first half. Despite the Hurricanes attempts to close the gap, Georgia College punched the margin back to seven on four occasions and managed to stetch the lead to eight points at the halftime break, 42-34.

The Bobcats scored the first four points of the second half to open their largest lead of the evening, 46-34, with 19:07 remaning. GSW chipped away over the next 10 minutes and when Darius Redding drained a 3-pointer with 9:28 left, the score was tied at 53-53.

The two sides went back and forth over the next three minutes before Birchfield scored back-to-back buckets to give the Hurricanes their largest advantage of the second half, 64-61.

Georgia College answered. Larrentis Thomas made 1 of 2 free throws, the Bobcats held GSW and then Ryan Blumenthal sank a 3-pointer to recapture the lead, 65-64. The Hurricanes couldn't get it back. GSW tied the game at 69-69 with 52 seconds remaining after a 3-pointer by Rudolph, but Juwan Hubbard answered with a 3-pointer for Georgia College and added a pair of free throws in the closing seconds.

Georgia College finished with a higher shooting percentage (52.0%) than GSW (48.1%) and won the rebounding battle, 32-26. Southwestern forced three more turnovers, 11-8, turned in another 20-assist effort and shot the ball well once again from beyond the arc, connecting on 7 of 17 overall (41.2%).

Redding scored 14 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed six rebounds for the Hurricanes. Darius Hoisten turned in his best performance of the season with 10 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes of action.

GSW held the Bobcats leading scorer Terrell Harris to four points, 13 points under his average. However, Blumenthal was there to pick up the slack as he led the Bobcats with 24 points off the bench. Thomas added nine points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Southwestern hosts Columbus State on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.