Babson Park, FL – Webber International Men's Basketball battled to stay within striking distance most of the night but could never quite erase an early deficit, falling 80–70 to Clinton College (S.C.) on Friday evening at the Sabbagh Athletic Center. The loss moves the Warriors to 5–5 on the season, while Clinton improves to 6–4.
Clinton came out fast, using pressure defense and transition baskets to jump in front and build an 11-point edge in the first half. Webber answered with timely perimeter shooting and strong work on the offensive glass to keep the margin manageable, but the visitors still took a 40–32 lead into the locker room. The Warriors continued to chip away after halftime and traded baskets throughout much of the second period, yet every push was met with a Clinton response as the visitors matched Webber 40–38 over the final 20 minutes to close out the 10-point win.
Offensively, Webber leaned on a balanced scoring trio. Landon Tillman paced the Warriors with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals, knocking down a pair of threes and attacking the rim throughout. Jashawnn Bates provided punch from the wing with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go with seven rebounds, while Deon Brown added 13 points, five boards, three steals and three made three-pointers. Thomas Morgan gave Webber energy in the frontcourt with seven points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks, and Nirobi Peeler Jr. chipped in six points on two second-half threes.
Despite the loss, the Warriors held a 37–29 advantage on the glass, including 12 offensive rebounds that turned into 15 second-chance points. Webber also scored 32 points in the paint and recorded five blocks on the night. However, Clinton's efficiency proved to be the difference as the visitors shot 47.4 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc, while Webber finished at 41.0 percent overall and 32.1 percent from three. The Warriors' 18 turnovers also led to 17 Clinton points, helping the visitors maintain control whenever Webber threatened to make a run.
Clinton placed five players in double figures and got a big all-around performance from guard Kipp Richvine, who posted 17 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and six steals to orchestrate the offense. Blake Gascoigne (18 points), Isaiah Borders (13), Daquan Amlett (13) and Jordan Snipes Campbell (8) rounded out a balanced attack, while the Golden Bears' bench outscored Webber's reserves 32–9.
Webber will look to regroup and get back above .500 as it heads into the next stretch of nonconference and Sun Conference play, aiming to build on its rebounding edge and second-chance production while tightening up its perimeter defense and ball security.
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