BABSON PARK, Fla. (December 20, 2022) – In game two of the Warrior Classic, the Webber International University men's basketball team matched up against the Tigers of Doane University on Tuesday evening. It was a tough battle but the Warriors hung on for their second-straight win, 73-68, over the traveling Tigers.
 
Both teams shot a similar percentage from the floor in total as well as from deep but Webber (6-4 overall) outrebounded Doane (7-8) 39-27 and capitalized on free throws, converting 16 of 17 in total.
 
The game started off with hard defense from both sides as baskets were few and far between. After the first five minutes, the game was tied at eight apiece. Tied at 10 with 13 and a half minutes left, the Warriors took the momentum scoring five in a row. However, the Tigers responded with five-straight of their own to tie it back up at 15.
 
Webber then went on a 10-3 run over a two-minute span to take a seven-point advantage. Doane responded once again with a 7-0 run that leveled things up yet again, this time at 25, with just over five minutes left in the half. Tied at 27, the Warriors scored on three-straight possessions to take a six-point lead and led by four at halftime.
 
Thanks to a three from Tiyon Martin followed by three successful free throws by Eddie Davis, Webber extended its lead to eight points after the first four minutes of the second half. The Tigers fought back with a 9-0 run over the next two and a half minutes to regain the lead at 44-43. The lead would change four more times over the next three minutes, with Doane holding a 52-51 lead with 10 minutes to go.
 
An and-one from Jyshaun Melvin earned the Warriors the lead back at 54-52. Webber never relinquished the lead from that point on as it was fueled by Melvin's 13 second-half points.
 
"I thought our guys played with a lot of heart today," Head Coach Gabriel Rutledge said after the game. "It's not easy playing back-to-back games, especially against a quality opponent like Doane, but we did an outstanding job of staying locked in for the full 40 minutes. It feels great to get two-straight wins on our home court and we'll be looking to keep this momentum going into another back-to-back at Keiser in just over a week."
 
Davis led the Warriors in scoring with a career-high 24 points on 57.1 percent shooting and added six rebounds to his credit as well. Freshman-guard Melvin tallied career and season-highs in both points with 16 and rebounds with four in just 18 minutes played. He shot 83.3 percent including 3-of-4 from deep. He was followed by Martin with 11 points, K'Shun Stokes with eight, and Jorden Golden with seven. Stokes tallied five rebounds and led the team in assists with three, steals with two, and blocks with one. Chinecherem Anukaenyi also led the team in rebounds with eight.
 
Webber now heads into the holiday break with back-to-back victories and an overall record of 6-4. The Warriors now have a nine-day break as they prepare for their final two games of 2022 in the SSAC/Sun Conference Challenge at Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Florida. They will first battle Dalton State College on Thursday, December 29 at 12 p.m. before matching up against William Carey University the following day at 2:15 p.m.