Rams Advance to Semifinals With Win

MOBILE, Ala-- The 16th-ranked University of Mobile men's basketball team toppled visiting William Carey University 81-72 in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament action Wednesday evening.

The first half saw back-and-forth action through the first 6+ minutes as Kyle LaMonte knocked down a deuce to put the Crusaders up 13-12. But, the Rams quickly seized momentum and went on a 12-0 charge to take a 24-13 lead with 10:32 remaining on a 3-ball from Derrell Moreaux.

The Rams kept a 6-8 point lead for a while, but the Crusaders kept fighting and finished the half with a couple of baskets to go into intermission trailing only 36-34.

Derrick Jarvis opened the final period by scoring a deuce to knot the game at 36-36. But, that was as close as the visitors would get in the half, as the Rams never trailed in the period. William Carey pulled within 3 at the 7:27 mark, but the Rams went on a quick 7-0 spurt to go up 70-60 and the Crusaders could never get closer than 6 points from there to the finish.

Robert Jones led Mobile with 20 points, Derrell Moreaux added 18 points and 5 steals, Walter Fitzgerald added 16 points and 10 boards, and Steve Pellan rounded out the top performers with 16 points. William Carey's Kyle LaMonte led all scorers with 25 points.

The 22-8 Rams will host Xavier University Friday, March 7th at 7:00 pm in a GCAC Tournament Semifinal matchup for the right to go to the GCAC Championship Monday.