William Carey opened SSAC play with a 76-67 men’s basketball victory over Xavier University on Thursday at Clinton Gymnasium in Hattiesburg.
The Crusaders broke open an early back-and-forth game with a 15-1 run, taking a 22-7 lead. They went into halftime ahead 49-30, then stretched the margin to 64-40 in the opening six minutes of the second half.
Xavier rallied and cut the deficit to 69-59 with five minutes remaining. William Carey answered with five straight points and held on for the win.
Malik Franklin led all scorers with 18 points. Grace Aluma had 17 points and nine rebounds, while Jamarion Smith added 12 points.
William Carey is scheduled to host Loyola University in SSAC play Saturday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. at Clinton Gymnasium.
