STU’s William Barber was pumped up after a big win on Saturday, and was even giving reporters fist bumps after the game.
“We hadn’t won in three weeks, so it feels good to get the monkey off our backs, get back on the right road,” said Barber.
The St. Thomas men’s basketball team had lost two games before Saturday, both being double digit losses. But they redeemed themselves against the Crandall University Chargers by winning 70-56.
For Tommies head coach Dwight Dickinson, there was no doubt what got them the win.
“I thought the defense won the ball game for us,” said Dickinson. “They worked hard and played defense, and let the offense come eventually.
Early on, it looked like the Chargers were in control, as they led 25-19 at half. Then the third quarter hit. The Tommies outscored Crandall 25-11 in the quarter. They were led by William Barber and Bradley Hovey, who both finished the game with 21 points.
“[Crandall] just folded. They couldn’t handle the adversity,” said Barber. “Basketball is a game of runs. We went on a run and they didn’t know how to take it.”
The game marked the best defense of the season. The Tommies only let Crandall hit 26 per cent of their shots, and the same shooting percentage from the three point line.
“We haven’t been playing real good defense lately. The past two teams scored over 100 points [on us],” said Barber.
As the Tommies enter the Christmas break, Barber is confident in the team’s ability going forward.
“We’re a tough team and we can beat anybody as long as we stay together,” said Barber.
