ATLANTA -- Miles can generally count on a solid defensive effort against each of its opponents but the Golden Bears had trouble getting stops during the second half Thursday night against Clark Atlanta.

After erasing a nine-point deficit and leading midway through the second half, Miles struggled to keep the Panthers at bay. CAU shot 60 percent from the field over the final 20 minutes in securing a 69-64 win over the Golden Bears at Epps Gym. The loss ended a four-game win streak for Miles (7-2, 2-1 SIAC West) and made it back-to-back wins for CAU (3-9, 3-1 SIAC East).

Miles trailed 28-19 with less than five minutes to go in the first half. But a late Ryan Calhoun jumper cut the deficit to 33-30 at the half. Jelani Watson-Gayle (15 points, 4 steals) drained a 3-pointer to open the second half and immediately tied the score. CAU would reestablish a six-point advantage but Nathan Ferguson (team-high 18 points) got hot at the right time. He scored seven straight points - starting with a 3-pointer and ending with a breakaway dunk - to give the Golden Bears a 44-41 lead with 15:37 remaining.

Another 3-pointer by Ferguson gave Miles a 50-46 lead - its biggest of the game - with 11:41 left. But from there, the defense could not slow down the Panthers. CAU went on a 9-1 run over the next four minutes and Miles would miss all five of its attempts from the field during that time. The Golden Bears would continue to battle, closing to within a single point on Ferguson's third 3-pointer of the half with 5:40 to go.

But CAU would  make 7-of-12 shots after Miles opened its four-point lead and pushed its advantage out to seven points late in the contest. Miles would only be able to get the deficit to within three points inside the final minute, missing a shot to get even closer as the Panthers closed the game out from the free throw line.

Romaine Thomas (20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks) and Tyler Singleton (16 points) were the top performers for Clark Atlanta. Avery Brown had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists and Frank Royles added 4 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for Miles, which plays again on Jan. 4 when it hosts Morehouse. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.

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