LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama men's basketball team's return to Pruitt Hall after six games on the road was spoiled by a hot-shooting Christian Brothers University squad, as CBU downed UWA 79-56 on Saturday. The Buccaneers improved to 7-3 on the season while the Tigers dropped their second-straight game and will enter Monday night's road contest at Southeastern Bible College at 5-4 on the season. CBU, who entered the Gulf South Conference inter-divisional affair averaging over nine three-pointers per contest, drained 14 baskets from beyond the arc to key the 23-point win. The Bucs connected on 53 percent from the field along with a 46 percent shooting night from three-point range. CBU's Kevin Doran came off the bench to spark the Bucs offensively as he drilled three of his six three-pointers in the first half to stretch CBU's lead out to double figures midway through the opening half. Doran finished with a game-high 18 points. CBU took its largest lead of the opening half into the halftime break at 44-22 and stretched the deficit out to as many as 30 points at 71-41 with six minutes left in the contest. The zone defense played by CBU gave UWA fits all night as the Red and White struggled from three-point range. The GSC's top three-pointer shooter and UWA's top scoring threat, Richard Sirju, was limited to just one trey in the second half and finished with just five points on the night. Sophomore Alquan Mendenhall and senior Jason Swanson posted 12 points each to lead UWA in scoring. Mendenhall was credited with four three-pointers while Swanson finished with eight rebounds. Trevell Coleman added 10 points in the setback. UWA will return to the road to face Southeastern Bible College, based in Birmingham, Ala. on Monday, Dec. 14. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at the Mountain Chapel United Methodist Church's activities center in Vestavia Hills, Ala. The Red and White will close out the pre-holiday schedule in Pruitt Hall on Dec. 19 and Dec. 21, welcoming a pair GSC West opponents in UAM and Southern Arkansas respectively.
