MOBILE, Ala-- The University of Mobile men's basketball team defeated rival Spring Hill College 70-54 in Southern States Athletic Conference action Thursday evening at Pharr Gym.

With the win, UMobile Head Coach Joe Niland moves within one win of his 400th career victory. Mobile (12-9, 6-6) hosts Faulkner University Saturday at 4 pm.

Chris Richardson and Julien Sargent led the Rams with 12 points apiece, while Marcus Polnett added 11 points and Brandon Morris finished with 10 off the bench.

Todd Martin led a pair of Badgers in double figures with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting.

The Rams out shot the visitors 54% to 30% from the floor and 47% to 26% from 3-point range. The Rams then capped the game by going 19-of-26 from the free throw line in the final half.

Mobile started fast with a trio of 3-balls from Richardson to ignite a 12-2 start to the game. After the Badgers answered with a pair of free throws, Kwame Beard and Polnett went back-to-back with 3-pointers to push the Rams out to an 18-4 lead. Mobile held an 11-point lead with 4:12 to play, but scored only three points the remainder of the half, as the Badgers used an 11-3 run to trim the margin to 29-26 heading into the break.

The Rams maintained the lead the entire final half, despite a push from the Badgers. A Todd Martin 3-pointer made it 46-44 Mobile with 9:24 to play, but the Rams answered with the next eight points thanks to four points from Cody Scott.