H. AUSTILL PHARR GYMNASIUM | MOBILE, Ala. - In the first home game of the 2025 calendar year, the University of Mobile Men's Basketball team defeated conference rival William Carey (Miss.) 82-64 in a back-and-forth contest on Tuesday night, Jan. 14, snapping a modest four-game win streak the Crusaders were riding entering play. Tuesday's game is the first of two regular season meetings between the SSAC rivals, with Mobile set to travel to Hattiesburg, Miss. on Feb. 20 in an attempt to sweep the Crusaders during the year.
For Mobile, the win is the Rams' third-straight over conference opponents, improving the overall record to 12-4 on the season and 6-2 in SSAC play. Mobile currently sits atop the SSAC Men's Basketball West standings. Meanwhile, William Carey falls to 14-5 overall and 7-3 in conference action, sitting one spot behind the Rams in the SSAC West Division.
Rams Overpower Crusaders in Key Conference Clash
William Carey came out hot on Tuesday night, forcing Mobile Head Coach Darnell Archey to burn a pair of timeouts in the first half. However, the Rams kept their poise and managed to stick with the Crusaders as the lead swapped several times throughout the first 20 minutes. Eventually, Mobile managed a 36-34 lead at the halftime break, leading for over 10 minutes in the period and shooting just under 40% from the field. For William Carey, the Crusaders only led for seven minutes in the first, finishing with a 40% shooting mark as a team. A pair of steals led to several easy points for William Carey to close the deficit right before halftime.
In the second half, Mobile kept the lead for all but 31 seconds during the back 20 minutes despite the Crusaders keeping things close out of halftime. As time continued to tick off the clock, the Rams took advantage of inconsistent offense on William Carey's side and ran away with the lead in the closing minutes. Mobile eventually outscored the Crusaders 46-30 in the final 20 minutes, winning Tuesday's game by 18 points.
Mobile's strong second half propelled the overall team shooting percentage to 50.8%, with the Rams knocking down eight three-pointers and managing a 12-for-16 mark from the free-throw line. William Carey's shooting percentage dipped below 37% as the team had no answers for the Rams late in front of a packed and loud Pharr Gymnasium.
Entering Tuesday, both teams averaged 82 points per game this season as Mobile finished Tuesday right at the season average. William Carey finished 18 points shy of the team's average on the year. Additionally, Mobile out-rebounded the Crusaders 39-36, while forcing nine turnovers.
Five players on Mobile's side finished in double-figures, with the Rams being led by Trent Moye. Moye tallied 19 points off an 8-for-13 shooting mark from the floor, connecting on three three-pointers. BJ Comer followed closely behind with 18 points, recording a perfect 5-for-5 showing at the free-throw line, and Adarius Oliver came up clutch with 14 points from off the bench, adding nine rebounds and three blocks in the process. Both Treylan Smith and Jarvis Moss also finished with double-digit point totals, each corralling 10 points in the victory. Moss scored 10 points in 18 minutes of playing time from off the bench. For Ezra McKenna, Mobile's team leader in scoring this season, the senior finished with four points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Home Stretch Continues in the Pharr
Tuesday's game started a streak of five-straight home games for Mobile in Pharr Gymnasium from Jan. 14-27. The Rams' are set to return to action on Thursday night, Jan. 16 with an SSAC meeting against Middle Georgia State University. Thursday's game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT. All home games will be broadcasted live on the University of Mobile Sports Network.
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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.
