BABSON PARK, Fla. (January 4, 2023) - The Webber International University men's basketball team opened the new year with a non-conference matchup against Bob Jones University on Wednesday afternoon. A strong first half offensively gave the Warriors an advantage they were able to hang onto for the rest of the game as they defeated the Bruins, 85-72.

Efficient offense combined with good team defense was they key to success as Webber (8-5 overall) shot 47.9 percent from the field while forcing Bob Jones (3-5) into 18 total turnovers. For the first time this season, all 13 Warriors touched the court. Freshman Jyshaun Melvin also earned the first start of his collegiate career.

The Bruins took the early edge, holding a 9-6 lead after the opening four minutes. They kept that three-point advantage at 13-10 before a layup from Eddie Davis made it a one-point game. A few possessions later, Orri Hilmarsson drilled a three to regain the lead for the Warriors at 15-13. Webber held the lead, 23-20, with nine and a half minutes left in the half before both teams went cold over the next two minutes. Then, a three-pointer by Tiyon Martin kick-started a 23-6 run by the Warriors that earned them their largest lead of the game at 20.

Through the first seven minutes of the second half, Webber was able to keep Bob Jones at arms length as the Warriors still held a 16-point lead. Over the next four minutes, the Bruins slowly chipped away at the deficit until they trailed by single-digits. A successful three-point shot by the Bruins with seven and a half minutes left in the game pulled them to within eight, but that is as close as they came for the remainder of the game as Webber extended its lead yet again and saw out the victory on home court.

"I thought we competed well throughout the game, which is something we've emphasized getting better at this week in practice", said Head Coach Gabriel Rutledge. "Bob Jones is a good offensive team and we held them close to 40 percent from the field. We did a good job on the glass and a great job of taking care of the basketball. I give Coach Miller a lot of credit, I think they played really hard. They have good guard play and some guys that can make some tough shots. They are an extremely well-coached basketball team."

K'Shun Stokes led the team in both points with 28 and assists with three while adding five rebounds. He shot an impressive 65 percent and scored 25 or more for the fourth time so far this season. He was followed by Davis with 16 points and Hilmarsson with 14. Hilmarsson currently sits second in the NAIA in made three-point field goals per game with 3.9. Jordan Golden ended the night leading the team in both rebounds with seven and blocks with two. Gavin Buchanon tallied eight points in 15 minutes played while Martin ended with seven points in 13 minutes.

Coach Rutledge said of his team, "I thought K'Shun played great tonight and is really starting to feel comfortable within our offense. He was excellent today with his finishing around the rim. He has outstanding effort and it pays off as he just continues to improve. I thought Eddie also played well on both ends of the floor and made some very important baskets. We also got some really good production out of our bench. If we can get some scoring out of people other than our main two or three guys, it takes us to another level."

The Warriors now head back to conference play as they start with a back-to-back, after today's game, they now head to the College of Coastal Georgia to battle the Mariners for the first time this season tomorrow, January 5th, at 7:30 p.m. They will then return home for a Saturday matchup against the visiting Nighthawks of Thomas University at 4 p.m.