BABSON PARK, Fla. (January 10, 2022) - The Webber International University men's basketball team hosted Ave Maria University on Tuesday night, the first meeting between the two teams so far this season. The Warriors earned the victory on home court, defeating the Gyrenes 72-62, and earned sole possession of second place in The Sun Conference.

Webber (11-5 overall, 5-1) outrebounded Ave Maria (11-5, 4-2) 42-36 in total and 17-11 on the offensive glass which led to the Warriors outscoring their opponents 20-12 in second chance points as well. The Gyrenes had a four-game win streak heading into the game which has now been broken.

Both teams traded three-point baskets over the first three minutes as the game was tied at six apiece. Webber got to the line multiple times over the next five minutes as it went on a 14-3 run, taking a n 11-point lead with 12 minutes remaining in the half. Ave Maria responded with a run of its own and eventually cut the lead to just five at 28-23. Three-pointers by Jordan Golden, K'Shun Stokes, and Orri Hilmarsson fueled the Warriors on a 15-7 run to end the half.

A layup from Eddie Davis gave Webber the first bucket of the second half as well as a 15-point lead, but the tide quickly shifted. A 12-1 run over the next six minutes saw the Gyrenes come back to within just two points. Ave Maria got back within striking distance but was unable to take the lead or even tie it. Still leading by two at 49-47, Jyshaun Melvin then sank a triple which kick-started an 11-2 run over the next four minutes. From that point on, the Gyrenes did not threaten enough as the Warriors sealed their fourth-straight victory.

"It was a good win for us, I'm really proud of how we started the game", Head Coach Gabriel Rutledge said after the game. "The guys did a great job at sharing the ball and making shots. This was a situation we haven't had so far this season. Not everything was going our way in the second half, but I thought we battled hard. Getting offensive rebounds takes grit and we had multiple guys fighting for them tonight. That, along with us stepping up and hitting our free throws were crucial to tonight's victory. Ave Maria got themselves back into the game in the second half but we stayed resilient which led to us making some winning plays. A win like this builds a lot of confidence and we're excited about it, but we know there's still work to be done. Go Warriors."

The Warriors were led by Stokes with 22 points on 50 percent shooting. He tallied seven rebounds, a steal, and tied his season-high of four three-pointers in a single game. He was followed by Davis with 10 points and a team-high two steals while adding a block as well. Sophomore-forward Golden, ended the night just one-point shy of a double double as he recorded nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Hilmarsson finished with eight points followed by Melvin with seven and a career and season-high five assists as well.

Webber closes out its three-game home-stand on Thursday, January 12th when it hosts the Florida Memorial University Lions at 7:30 p.m. The Warriors will then have a two-day break before they travel to South Florida to battle St. Thomas University on Saturday afternoon.