THOMASVILLE, Ga. - A late three-point shot by Thomas University (Ga.) handed the University of Mobile Men's Basketball team just the fifth loss of the 2023-24 season on Wednesday night, Jan. 24, with the Night Hawks stealing a 77-75 victory over the Rams. The loss drops Mobile's overall record to 15-5 on the year, while the conference record in the SSAC moves to 8-4 this season.
In the loss, junior DaMariee Jones eclipsed 1,000 career points just minutes into the game, becoming just the 20th Ram from the University of Mobile Men's Basketball program to surpass the 1,000-point plateau. Darius Curry and Will Standford from the 2019-2020 team at Mobile were the last two Rams before Jones to join the 1,000-point club.
Game Recap
Mobile dominated the first 20 minutes of Wednesday's meeting with Thomas, totaling 43 first-half points off a 50% shooting line. The Rams made 16 total shots from the floor through the first half, adding seven made free throws. Jones, a Bessemer, Ala. native, entered Wednesday's game just three points shy of 1,000 in his collegiate career, making two early shots to reach the historic number. He finished the first half with 10 points. Meanwhile, the Mobile defense allowed the Night Hawks just 31 points in the first half.
Coming out of halftime, Thomas' offense accelerated and built a 14-4 run over Mobile through the first five minutes of the second half. Momentum continued to build on Thomas' side throughout the latter part of Wednesday's contest as the Night Hawks eventually grabbed the lead with just minutes remaining in regulation. Mobile was able to grab the lead back, but the Night Hawks' fight continued and Thomas swished a go-ahead three point shot with just seconds remaining on the clock to win the game. Thomas finished the second half with 46 points, while Mobile ended the second half scoring only 32 points. The Rams shot 42% in the final 20 minutes, making 12 shots from the floor.
DaMariee Jones made seven of Mobile's 12 shots in the second half, finishing with a career-high 27 points in the defeat. In total, Jones ended his night shooting 12-for-15 from the field, adding three made free throw attempts and collecting eight rebounds. Additionally, he led Mobile with two blocks and tallied three assists during his career night.
Ezra McKenna finished two rebounds shy of his 16th double-double this season as the junior was held to 14 points and eight boards. Older brother Sage McKenna tallied 13 points off the bench, scoring 12 points alone in the first half. As a team, Mobile connected with only six made threes on 25 attempts and went 13-for-19 from the free throw line. Thomas won the rebound battle by one, 37-36.
Big Test on Saturday
Coming off a tough loss to Thomas, Mobile has a bigger test upcoming as the Rams travel to Montgomery, Ala. for an afternoon conference game against Faulkner University (Ala.) on Saturday, Jan. 27. Saturday's game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT, with Mobile looking to sweep Faulkner during the regular season for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
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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.
