Central, SC - The Southern Wesleyan University Warriors were victorious over the Belmont Abbey College Crusaders on Monday. 

The Warriors had four players in double-digit scoring in the win including RJ Bell with 16, CeeJay Jordan with 16, Eric Hackett with 15, and Aaron Tims with 10. Bell led the team with 11 rebounds while Bell, Tims, and Marcus Long all had 4 assists. As a team, SWU shot 26-54 (48.1%) from the field, 8-27 (29.6%) from three, and 16-21 (76.2%) from the free-throw line. 


Game Vitals:

Final: Southern Wesleyan University 76, Belmont Abbey College 67

Records: Southern Wesleyan University (5-11, 3-7), Belmont Abbey College (1-11, 0-8)


How It Happened: 

The first five on the floor for Southern Wesleyan tonight were Che Smith, RJ Bell, Je'hvonni Hogan, Christopher Osobaye, and Aaron Tims - the first time that lineup has started a game this season. On the first possession of the game, Tims grabbed his own miss and kicked it out to Bell who knocked down a three-pointer. This was an extremely positive start for the Warriors because they had shot 2-20 and 0-8 from behind the arc in their last two games. With just under 14:00 on the clock in the first half, it was Bell again who connected from long range, this time doing so on back-to-back possessions as part of a 14-0 run. That run would be extended to 20-5 over the next 6:00, capped by a transition layup from Eric Hackett. Southern Wesleyan's full-court pressure was very effective in the opening 20:00, as it forced Belmont Abbey to speed up their offense and frequently turn the ball over. The Crusaders began to find a little bit of rhythm with back-to-back triples near the end of the half, but Raevon Allen converted from behind the arc to make it a 17-point game at the break. 

SWU opened they second half like the did the first - a second-chance three from Bell. However, the offense didn't flow as it did in the opening period and Belmont Abbey cut the lead to 10 before Tims finished in the paint with 15:05 to go. Tims and CeeJay Jordan were crucial players for Coach Stites's squad tonight, as each wasin double-figures. The two ran a lot of high-low action, as Jordan's off-ball movement and Tims's left-handed finishing ability helped carry the scoring load. Hackett also provided points off the bench and hit two crucial threes midway through the second half to help the Warriors retake a double-digit lead. Belmont Abbey never went away though, particularly because of the shooting from Khamani Wertz who went 9-13 from behind the arc in the contest. Wertz did his best to help carry the Crusaders, but late free throws from Jordan, Osobaye, and Smith sealed the Southern Wesleyan win. 


What's Next: 

The Warriors remain home for their next two games, facing off with Young Harris on Wednesday, January 22nd, and Barton on Saturday, January 25th.