WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (December 30, 2022) - The Webber International University men's basketball team wrapped up the SSAC/Sun Conference Challenge on Friday afternoon with a match up against William Carey University. The Warriors led for the first 29 minutes of the game, but a second-half comeback from the Crusaders fueled them to victory, 63-59.

Webber (7-5 overall) shot an even 42 percent from the field but were outrebounded heavily, 38-27, by William Carey (5-8). 16 of those 38 were offensive rebounds in which the Crusaders turned into 15 second-chance points, while also shooting 10-of-22 from deep.

The Warriors got off to a hot start after taking an 11-0 lead after the first four minutes of play. William Carey responded with an 11-3 run over the next five minutes to trail by just three with 11 minutes on the clock. A jumper from Loro Natana followed by two successful free throws by K'Shun Stokes extended the lead back to seven for the Warriors. The Crusaders did not back down, however, as they cut the lead to just one over the next three and a half minutes. Momentum swung back in Webber's direction with a 13-6 run over the final five minutes, earning it an eight-point lead at the break.

A 6-0 run by William Carey to start the second half reduced the Warrior-lead to just two after the first three minutes. However, back-to-back layups from Stokes followed by a layup from Jordan Golden made it an eight-point game once again. Scoring then became sparse for both teams as the Crusaders hit two threes nearly two minutes apart. William Carey converted two free throw attempts and after getting a defensive stop, scored a layup to earn its first lead of the game at 41-39. The lead then changed eight times over the next four minutes as both sides battled aggressively to hold the advantage.

Trailing 53-50 with just over six minutes remaining in the game, the Warriors would tie it up courtesy of an Orri Hilmarsson three-pointer. Webber was then held scoreless for the next three minutes as the Crusaders went on a 7-0 run. They were unable to close the gap in the final two and a half minutes as the Warriors fell 63-59.

Stokes finished the game with team-highs in points with 19, assists with four, and blocks with two. He also finished tied for the most steals on the team with Jordan Golden, each with three. Golden led the team in rebounds with six and added six points to his credit. Hilmarsson and Eddie Davis both ended with nine points each while Davis added five rebounds. Chinecherem Anukaenyi tallied four points, four rebounds, and block while Gavin Buchanon posted eight points and three assists in a season-high 21 minutes played.

The Warriors wrap up 2022 with a 7-5 record heading into the new year. They will now return home for their first matchup of 2023 on January 4th, at 4 p.m. as they battle Bob Jones University inside the Sabbagh Athletic Center. That will be the first of three games in four days as they travel to the College of Coastal for a game the very next day before returning home to face Thomas University on January 7th.