HATTIESBURG, Miss. – William Carey used a dominant second half to pull away from Thomas University, earning a 91–75 victory Thursday night at Clinton Gymnasium.
 
"I thought we played well against a very athletic team," said Head Coach Steve Knight. "We made big shots when needed, especially from behind the arc. Defensively, we had 9 steals in the second half that led to some transition buckets. Overall, a quality win."
 
Thomas came out firing, fueled by a scorching start from Shane Payne, who buried three early triples to stun the Crusaders and build a 14–7 Night Hawk lead. But the spark only woke Carey up. Anthony Robinson answered with a deep three, Troy Dunn converted a transition layup seconds later, and Dunn's smooth mid-range jumper tied the game at 14 as momentum began shifting.
 
From there, the Crusaders ignited. Makeem Roberts drilled a three to give Carey its first lead, and a relentless 7–0 burst pushed the advantage to 24–16. The Crusaders maintained control for much of the half, stretching the margin to 36–27 with seven minutes left. Thomas rallied to close within 41–37, but Carey closed the period strong and took a 46–39 advantage into the break after two free throws from Malik Franklin.
 
The Crusaders carried that momentum into the second half. Roberts opened the scoring from the line, and then the fireworks began. Javeon Gordon caught fire, knocking down two threes during an 11-6 run to push the advantage to 57–45. Five minutes later, Gordon struck again from deep, pushing the margin to 17 and bringing the Clinton Gym crowd to its feet.
 
Thomas momentarily halted the avalanche behind Ryan Williams, who sparked a run with two threes and a tough layup to trim the deficit to 11. But Carey slammed the door. A powerful 7–0 run—capped by a three-point play from an attacking Rashad Stevenson—reestablished control at 84–68. From there, the Crusaders controlled the tempo, sealing the win with steady free-throw shooting and efficient scoring inside.
 
Franklin led five Crusaders in double figures with 16 points. Randarius Hughes posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Roberts added 11. Dunn and Jenkins also reached double figures with 10 points each.
 
The Crusaders return to action on Saturday, February 7, hosting Abraham Baldwin at Clinton Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.