Mountaineers Grind Out Road Win At Southwestern

The game opened with Schreiner’s three-point attack misfiring and Pirates guard Shobby Enakpene (19 points, 7-of-11) setting an aggressive tone. Around the 12-minute mark of the first half, the Mountaineers trailed 14–10 as Southwestern capitalized on missed shots. That’s when center Kamden Ross (18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals) asserted himself. His defensive presence—blocking shots and securing rebounds—helped jump-start a stagnant offense. Meanwhile, CJ Ward (11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) recorded a block of his own and hounded Southwestern’s ball handlers. On one fast-break sequence, Dylan Mackey (11 points, 7 boards) pulled off a slick euro-step layup that ignited the bench. Later, Dylan Snow buried a long three-pointer to keep Schreiner’s surge alive. By halftime, the Mountaineers pieced together a 40–31 lead behind their improving defense and hustle inside.

Southwestern came roaring back to open the second half, scoring 12 unanswered to move in front at 43–40. That swing prompted Schreiner to turn to its bench, and the reserves responded. Mario Johnson (7 points, 6 rebounds) fought for crucial boards and putbacks, Justin Gooden knocked down a momentum-stopping three, while Carson Diamond, Bradley Russell, and Charley Reado forced turnovers and contested shots. Their collective energy reignited the Mountaineers, who recaptured the lead at 55–54 near the midway point of the half.

Down the stretch, the starters returned to stabilize the offense. Though guard Beau Cervantes (9 points) struggled from deep, he nailed a huge triple late in the game to put Schreiner on top for good. Moments later, Cervantes lofted an alley-oop pass to Ross, who finished with a layup to extend the lead to multiple possessions. While Jared Robins (17 points) cut into the deficit with a late three, Mackey and Ward iced it at the line, sealing a narrow yet pivotal victory. Schreiner forced 12 Pirate turnovers, blocked five shots, and pulled down 37 rebounds—just enough to stifle Southwestern’s comeback on a night when outside shots wouldn’t drop.