HATTIESBURG, Miss. — William Carey University used a strong second-half performance to defeat Thomas University 91-75 Thursday night at Clinton Gymnasium, according to school officials.
Head coach Steve Knight praised his team’s effort against an athletic opponent. “I thought we played well against a very athletic team,” he said. “We made big shots when needed, especially from behind the arc. Defensively, we had nine steals in the second half that led to some transition buckets. Overall, a quality win.”
Thomas opened the game with a hot streak, with Shane Payne hitting three early three-pointers to give the Night Hawks a 14-7 lead. Carey responded with a deep three from Anthony Robinson and a transition layup from Troy Dunn to tie the game at 14. Dunn then added a mid-range jumper to give the Crusaders their first lead.
William Carey built a 24-16 advantage with a 7-0 run and led 36-27 with seven minutes remaining in the first half. Thomas closed the gap to 41-37 before Carey finished the half strong, taking a 46-39 lead into halftime after Malik Franklin made two free throws.
The Crusaders maintained their momentum after the break, with Javeon Gordon hitting two three-pointers during an 11-6 run that pushed the lead to 57-45. Gordon hit another three later, increasing the margin to 17 points and energizing the home crowd. Thomas responded with Ryan Williams hitting two threes and a tough layup to cut the deficit to 11, but Carey responded with a 7-0 run capped by a three-point play from Rashad Stevenson to lead 84-68.
William Carey finished the game with steady free-throw shooting and efficient scoring inside. Franklin led all scorers with 16 points. Randarius Hughes posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Roberts added 11. Dunn and Jenkins each scored 10 points.
The Crusaders are scheduled to host Abraham Baldwin on Saturday at Clinton Gym. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m., according to school officials.
