Wesley Falls to William Jewell in Bahamas

Box Score

NASSAU, Bahamas - Wesley College's Rashawn Johnson (Selbyville, Del./Sussex Tech) scored a game-high 32 points and Alphonzo Wright (Dover, Del./Polytech) had his sixth straight double-double, but it was not enough as the William Jewell, ranked 25th in the NAIA Division I, took an 83-77 win at the Great Bahamas Goombay Classic.

Johnson picked up his second 30-plus point game of the season with a 13-of-26 effort from the floor, including three three pointers. 

Wright, meanwhile, hit 6-of-10 field goals on his way to 14 points and 10 rebounds.  He also led Wesley (3-5) four steals in the contest.

Reserve center Michael Neuenswander came off the bench to lead the Cardinals (8-4) with 23 points on 9-of-10 shooting.  He led a hot shooting team in the second half that hit 19-of-26 as a team (73 percent).

The Wolverines led the entire first half, going ahead by as many as 11 on a three by Johnson with 10:30 to go that made it 22-11.  William Jewell never got closer than four the rest of the half and after a pair of free throws by Wright, a lay up by Neuenswander sent the Cardinals into the intermission down 38-32.

William Jewell scored the first 10 points of the second half to take its first lead of the game.  The lead swelled to 15, 59-44, after a 21-6 run.

Wesley, however, responded with its own 13-2 spurt, powered by eight points by Johnson to cut it to 67-63 with 7:08 left in the game. 

A lay up by Wright with 4:25 to play tied the game at 71-71 and after Kyle Fisher made just one of two free throws, the Wolverines reclaimed the lead with a Kevin Johnson (Smyrna, Del./Smyrna) jumper in the paint.

Neuenswander regained the lead for the Cardinals with a fastbreak lay up for a 74-73 lead with 3:13 remaining in the game.  The bucket started an 11-2 run to put the game away.

Kevin Johnson gave Wesley three players in double figures with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting.

Wesley got just six points from its bench, all by James Stratton (Magnolia, Del./Caesar Rodney), while Neuenswander led a Cardinal bench that poured in 36.  William Jewell also held a 39-23 advantage on the glass.

The Wolverines used a pressure defense to stay in the game.  Wesley forced the Cardinals into 27 turnovers, twice the number William Jewell averaged as a team entering the game.

Larry Mandacina scored 17 for the Cardinals on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds.  Fisher added a dozen points.

Wesley will look to regroup against Westfield State (7-3) on Sunday, January 4 at 6:00 PM.