HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Interstat) — The William Carey Crusaders unleashed a dominant first-quarter offensive display and never looked back, cruising to a 115-87 victory over the Southern-New Orleans Knights in a men’s NAIA basketball game Thursday night.

The most important part of the game was its explosive and decisive start. William Carey set the tone immediately, opening the contest with a 21-2 run over the first six minutes that effectively decided the outcome. The Crusaders’ pressure defense forced a flurry of Knights turnovers, which fueled a transition attack that Southern-New Orleans could not contain.

Jamar Jenkins was instrumental in the early onslaught, scoring 11 points during the initial surge, including a pair of 3-pointers. The Knights were forced to use two 30-second timeouts in the first quarter in an attempt to stem the tide, but William Carey’s momentum was unrelenting. By the end of the period, the Crusaders had built a commanding 56-33 lead, shooting efficiently from the field while capitalizing on 10 Southern-New Orleans turnovers.

The second quarter offered more of the same, with William Carey extending its lead. The Crusaders’ ball-hawking defense, led by Makeem Roberts’ five steals in the game, continued to create easy scoring opportunities. Jenkins finished as a key scorer for William Carey, while Roberts impacted the game across multiple categories with his defensive activity and finishing at the rim.

For Southern-New Orleans, Dorian Booker provided a consistent offensive effort, scoring efficiently inside throughout the contest. Jaylon Hicks added bursts of offense, including several dunks, but the Knights could not string together enough stops to mount a serious challenge after the disastrous opening period.

The victory improved William Carey’s season record to 10-1, solidifying its strong start. The Crusaders have now defeated Southern-New Orleans twice this season, having also won 83-70 in New Orleans on Nov. 6. The loss dropped the Knights to 6-9 on the season.

William Carey’s performance aligned with pregame analytics, as Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Crusaders with a 90.80 percent probability to win. The team’s next game is scheduled for Jan. 3 at home against Talladega. Southern-New Orleans will next play on Jan. 5 at Loyola.