HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The University of Mobile Men's Basketball team scored a big road victory on Tuesday night, Feb. 7, defeating conference rival William Carey, 81-69. The win for Mobile gives the Rams a regular season sweep in two games over their rival, with Mobile defeating the Crusaders at home back on Jan. 12, 76-61. Additionally, Tuesday night's win for Mobile is the 10th win away from the Rams' home floor of Pharr Gymnasium this season, the first time the UM Men's Basketball program has eclipsed 10 road wins since the 2004-05 season.
For the first time since the 2012-13 season where Mobile finished 16-15 overall on the year, the Rams have guaranteed themselves a winning season during the 2022-23 campaign, with Tuesday's victory over William Carey improving the overall record to 17-8 on the season and 11-6 in conference play.
Rams Own Conference Rivalry Series
On Tuesday, William Carey took a quick lead with a made three-pointer just 20 seconds after tip. One minute later, a jump shot by Mobile's Sage McKenna gave the Rams their first lead, but the Crusaders managed to answer with a layup to reclaim the lead. Through the first 10 minutes of the game, the lead changed hands several times, but Mobile eventually proved to be the better team through the final 10 minutes of the first half.
In the final 10 minutes of the first, the Rams took the lead back with 8:53 left in the half and never looked back. William Carey trailed Mobile from then on through the rest of the game, with Mobile taking a 11-point advantage at 32-21 to halftime. In the second half, Mobile continued to extend their lead, eventually leading by a game-high 18 points late in the second. At one point, the Crusaders managed to cut the Mobile lead back to single digits, but it was short lived as the Rams continued to make shots as the game went on. Mobile eventually handed William Carey a 12-point loss on the Crusaders' home floor.
The Rams shot well throughout the entirety of the game, recording a 54% shooting line and making 23 of 34 free throw attempts. In the second half alone, Mobile converted 14 of 22 shots from the floor, managing a 63% shooting mark through the final 20 minutes. Meanwhile, William Carey only mustered a 37% shooting line as a team in the defeat, making a total of 23 shots in the game.
On the individual side, Ezra McKenna tallied his 18th double-double of the season, finishing with a team-high 27 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. McKenna finished 10-for-12 from the floor in the win, while making six of eight free throw attempts. He was followed by DaMariee Jones who recorded 23 points on Tuesday, adding six rebounds, a team-high six assists, and three steals. Freshman Mason Brundidge led Mobile with four steals in the victory, notching 10 points and four rebounds in the process. As a team, the Mobile defense came away with 11 steals total, forcing William Carey to commit 18 turnovers. The 18 giveaways for the Crusaders eventually led to the Rams scoring 20 points.
The win over William Carey in Hattiesburg on Tuesday night concludes the regular season on the road for Mobile as the Rams are set for three-straight home games to ahead of the conference championship tournament.
Return to the Pharr on Thursday
Mobile is set to host Blue Mountain Christian University at home on Thursday night, Feb. 9, a game that is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. CT. Following Thursday's matchup with the Toppers, the Rams will have the weekend off and return to action with two home games to conclude the regular season next week on Feb. 16 and Feb. 18.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
