MARIETTA, Ga. - Coming off two conference wins at home last week, the University of Mobile Men's Basketball team picked up where they left off with a conference victory on the road on Wednesday night, Jan. 10, defeating Life University (Ga.) 89-83 to improve to 13-3 on the season. The win for the 16th-ranked Rams is the third-straight victory to open 2024, and comes against a Life team that is currently receiving votes for entry in the NAIA Men's Basketball Top 25. In addition to the overall record, Mobile improves to 7-2 in the current SSAC Men's Basketball standings, placing the Rams in a tie for second with the Life Running Eagles.
Game Recap
Mobile opened Wednesday's game with a strong first half, scoring 46 points through the first 20 minutes off a 45% shooting mark. The Rams made 18 shots from the floor in the opening half, while finishing 6-for-9 from the free throw line. Additionally, Mobile held the Running Eagles to just 33 first-half points, leading by 13 at halftime. Ezra McKenna, the reigning national player of the week in the NAIA, tallied 21 points and five rebounds in the first half, making 10 total shots from the field.
In the second half, Life managed to close the gap on the Rams, briefly taking the lead by one point with just over 13 minutes left in regulation. Life's lead did not last long, however, as Mobile reclaimed the lead a few seconds later and never looked back. Despite the Running Eagles keeping the remainder of the game close, Mobile made important shots and free throws late to keep the lead and eventually win the game by six points. Mobile shot just 38% in the second half, but made 19 of 21 free throw attempts in the final 20 minutes to seal the win.
Box Score Highlights
Mobile finished Wednesday's victory shooting 41.5% from the field, while shining from the free throw line with 25 makes out of 30 total attempts. The Rams added eight three-pointers and collected 35 rebounds compared to Life's 31 boards. The Mobile defense forced 11 turnovers, with the offense scoring 13 points off giveaways.
Ezra McKenna picked up his 12th double-double of the season, picking up 32 points in the win. McKenna added 11 rebounds for the double-double, and made 11 shots from the floor. He finished 9-for-12 at the free throw line. Wednesday's performance marks the fifth time McKenna has finished with over 30 points in his career, with the 36-point game against Point University (Ga.) of this season back on Dec. 2 being the highest.
Joshua Williams also put together a strong night offensively, finishing with 21 points, shooting 6-for-10 from the field. Williams finished with two made threes and went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Trent Moye tallied 15 points with three steals, and Sage McKenna earned his first start of the season on Wednesday, matching a season-high eight points and came two points shy of his first double-double of the season after recording 10 rebounds.
DaMariee Jones, second in scoring on the Mobile roster this season, was inactive for Wednesday's contest.
Final Non-Conference Game Upcoming
Mobile returns to action in just two days, facing Southeastern Baptist College (Miss.) at home in a non-divisional game on Friday, Jan. 12. Friday's game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT and is the second meeting this season between the two teams. The Rams defeated Southeastern Baptist 81-51 in Laurel, Miss. back on Dec. 9.
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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.
