Rams Shut Down SHC's 3-point attack in 69-54 victory

By TOMMY HICKS
Sports Reporter

Boasting a strong 3-point shooting backcourt, Spring Hill College has gained a reputation as one of the best shooting teams in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference this season.

On Saturday night, those shooters faced one of the top defenses in the league.

Defense won.

Demonstrating some solid shooting itself, as well as depending on its defense, the University of Mobile stopped Spring Hill for a 69-54 victory before a boisterous crowd at Outlaw Recreation Center.

The Rams (15-7 overall, 5-3 in GCAC play) shot 55 percent from the floor, including 61.1 percent in the second half, and forced Spring Hill into an 0-for-7 showing from 3-point range in the first half to wrap up the victory.

"We've been doing a good job of defending the 3-point shot all season long," Mobile head coach Joe Niland said.

"We knew coming in that would be important if we were going to have a chance to win. Nate (Williams) and Pierre (DuVentre) can shoot the ball as good as anyone in this league. We knew we had to guard them."

The Spring Hill duo shot a combined 4-of-11 from the floor in the first half, and was 0-for-6 (Williams was 0-for-5) from 3-point range as the Rams kept pressure on the perimeter. For the night, Spring Hill hit just 23.5 percent from 3-point range.

In the meantime, Selyunn Palmer was making his 3-point tries, going 3-for-3 in the first half to lead the Rams' charge. In the first half, Mobile was 4-of-11 as a team from behind the arc and hit 50 percent from the floor overall.

The Rams used their advantages to forge a 29-21 halftime lead and never allowed Spring Hill (12-10, 3-5) to build any offensive momentum in the final 20 minutes. Three of the four 3-pointers that Spring Hill made in the game came with fewer than 70 seconds to play.

"I thought our defense, especially in the second half, was really good tonight," Niland said. "I'm proud of our guys."

Niland said he was especially pleased with the win because it came on the heels of a double-overtime loss at No. 7-ranked Xavier on Thursday night, a loss that ended the Rams' five-game winning streak.

"I was real concerned. I thought there might be a letdown, especially with the way we lost the other night, but the guys came out and played pretty hard tonight," Niland said.

Gimel Lewis and Palmer led the Rams with 14 points each, followed by Gabriel Feagin with 11, Larry Burgess with nine and Chris Bolden with eight.

Mobile outrebounded Spring Hill 32-22.

Williams' 18 points was tops for the Badgers, who also received 12 points from DuVentre and eight from Chris Baldwin.

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