MARIETTA, Ga. – William Carey turned a back-and-forth thriller into a statement win Thursday night, powering past Life University 96–81 in an electric road performance.
 
Head Coach Steve Knight said after the game, "I thought our guys played great. We made timely shots all night and tightened up the defense/rebounding down the stretch to win going away. Several individuals had excellent offensive nights for us, but we played great as a team. Big road win against a quality opponent."
 
Life struck first with a deep three from Calvin Payton, but the Crusaders needed only seconds to flip the momentum. Jamar Jenkins fired in a three of his own, igniting a red-hot start for WCU. Jenkins and Javeon Gordon scored the team's first 13 points as the Crusaders raced out to a 13–5 lead just five minutes in.
 
The Running Eagles clawed their way back, trimming the margin to 18–14 behind two strong finishes from Shane Stevensen. But Carey answered emphatically. A 12–3 burst pushed the advantage to 30–17, and despite Life's late-half surge — capped by another Payton triple to tie it — the Crusaders refused to relinquish control. With the clock winding down, Troy Dunn drilled a buzzer-beater from deep, sending Carey into halftime with all the energy and a 50–45 lead.
 
Life came out swinging after the break, opening the second half on a 9–4 run to pull even at 54. The Running Eagles briefly seized a 57–54 lead, but Carey punched right back. Malik Franklin stopped the rally with a jumper, and Makeem Roberts delivered a momentum-shifting steal that led to a Dunn layup and a renewed WCU lead.
 
From there, it was heavyweight basketball — blow for blow — until the Crusaders finally landed the decisive run. Clinging to a 74–73 edge with seven minutes left, Carey erupted for a 7–1 burst, and the Running Eagles never recovered.
 
The Crusaders poured in timely threes, forced key turnovers, and dominated the final stretch to slam the door on Life.
 
Carey finished with 14 made three-pointers and forced 15 turnovers, using both to control the tempo and fuel the victory.
 
Dunn led the charge with 22 points, one of five Crusaders in double figures. Franklin followed with 20, Anthony Robinson added 14, Jenkins chipped in 13, and Randarius Hughes provided 10 to round out the balanced attack.
 
The Crusaders return to action on Saturday, January 31, traveling to Dalton, Ga., to face Dalton State College in SSAC play. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.