MONTGOMERY, Ala. – William Carey's bid for an SSAC Tournament Championship came up just short Saturday night, as the Crusaders fell to Dalton State College 90–87 at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.
"Tough loss, but our guys battled to the end giving ourselves a chance to win it," said Head Coach
Steve Knight. "We just couldn't get the defensive stops the 2nd half. It's hard to beat a good team when they shoot 60% in a half and you only shoot 37%. Give them credit for making the plays when they needed them. Plus, we never got our transition offense going as we didn't get our normal amount of steals for the game."
Carey opened the game with strong interior play from
Jamar Jenkins and
Makeem Roberts, jumping out to a quick 6–2 lead. Dalton State answered immediately, however, as Qualen Pettus and Varun Danak sparked a decisive 15–1 run that pushed the Roadrunners in front 17–7 with just under 14 minutes remaining.
The Crusaders gradually worked their way back into the game. Key shots from
Malik Franklin and
Arzika Seibou halted Dalton State's surge and brought WCU within three at 19–16. The Roadrunners maintained a slim advantage over the next several minutes, eventually extending the lead to 30–23 with seven minutes before the half.
Carey responded with its best stretch of the opening period. Back-to-back threes from Jenkins and
Javeon Gordon, followed by a Franklin jumper, powered a 9–2 run that gave the Crusaders a 34–32 lead with four minutes left. Jenkins and Franklin added to the momentum to push the advantage to six, but Dalton State closed the half strong, edging ahead 39–38 on a Raylan Barrion layup. Roberts answered with a jumper in the closing seconds, sending Carey into the break with a 40–39 lead.
The second half opened with four straight points from
Anthony Robinson, but the Roadrunners quickly countered and regained the lead at 49–46. From there, the game turned into a back-and-forth battle, featuring multiple ties and lead changes. A three-pointer by Kelley put Dalton State ahead 62–55 at the midway mark, and another long-range make stretched the margin to 70–60 with eight minutes left.
Refusing to go away, the Crusaders mounted a determined comeback. A 16–6 run—highlighted by nine points from the free-throw line—brought the game level at 76–76 with four minutes remaining. Barrion answered again for Dalton State, converting a three-point play to push the Roadrunners ahead 81–78.
Dalton State added a free throw and a Pettus layup to make it a four-point game entering the final minute. The teams traded buckets before Robinson cut the deficit to 86–84 with a pair of free throws. A costly turnover by Carey in the final seconds allowed DSC to convert a key basket and extend the lead to 89–84 with under 10 seconds left.
Roberts drilled a deep three with three seconds remaining to keep the Crusaders alive, but Dalton State hit one of two free throws on the ensuing possession. Carey grabbed the rebound but could not get a shot off before time expired.
Roberts led the way offensively for the Crusaders with 23 points, followed by Robinson with 18. Franklin contributed 15 points, Jenkins added 12, and Hughes controlled the glass with 11 rebounds.
Next up for William Carey is the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round, beginning March 13. The Crusaders will learn their opponent and site during the NAIA selection show at 6 p.m. Thursday on YouTube.
