BABSON PARK, Fla. (February 21, 2023) - In what was its first Sun Conference Tournament appearance since 2020, the Webber International University men's basketball team battled the Seahawks of Keiser University in a quarterfinal matchup on Tuesday night. The Warriors led practically from start to finish in a 75-59, well-rounded team-win to secure their spot in the semifinal.

The Warriors (16-13 overall 8-8 SUN) shot 43.3 percent in total from the field while limiting Keiser (16-13, 8-8) to just 35.2 percent. Rebounding was a key factor in the victory for Webber as it out-rebounded the opposition 43-32 in total and 15-10 on the offensive glass.

"This was a great team win tonight," said Head Coach Gabriel Rutledge. "The atmosphere was electric and we really appreciate the support from all our Webber fans. I have a lot of respect for Keiser and their coaching staff, we knew this was going to be a tough battle. The guys came ready to play and I think this game showed growth and how much heart our team plays with. Although facing the number one team in the conference will be a challenge, tonight we showed that we can beat anybody when we play at our full potential. We are excited about the opportunity to keep playing basketball. Go Warriors."

Keiser opened the scoring with an early three but the Warriors responded with a 9-0 run to take a six-point lead. The Seahawks never regained the lead for the remainder of the game. K'Shun Stokes drilled back-to-back mid-range jumpers to extend Webber's lead to 10 points with nine and half minutes left in the half. Keiser responded with a 7-0 run that cut the lead to just three, however, momentum swung back in favor of the home team as a 12-0 run extended the Warrior's lead to 15 with just over three minutes to go. At the break, Webber boasted an 11-point lead.

In the second half, the Warriors steadily increased their lead to as many as 16 points roughly halfway through the second half. The Seahawks later managed to cut Webber's lead back down to single digits at 56-47 with roughly five minutes to go. However, thanks to Gavin Buchanon, who came off the bench to lead the team with 13 second-half points, the Warriors were able to keep Keiser at bay and see out the victory.

Everything ran through Stokes as he recorded 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a block on the night. He was followed by Buchanon who set career-highs in points scored with 17, free throws attempted with 10, and free throws made with 10. He added two rebounds, two steals and an assist as well. Chinecherem Anukaenyi stuffed the stat-sheet with a team-high 13 rebounds, four steals, two blocks and tallied 12 points to earn a double-double. Eddie Davis contributed with eight points, three rebounds and a team-high three assists.

The Warriors now advance to the semifinal game in which they will travel to Lakeland, Florida to face the No.1-seeded team in the conference, Southeastern University. Tip-off is set for Friday, February 24th at 7:30 p.m. in The Furnace.