WARRIOR OFFENSE EXCELS IN WIN OVER MICHIGAN-DEARBORN

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. - It was a tough day to be a net in the Garth Pleasant Arena gym on Wednesday night, with the Warriors defeating Michigan-Dearborn 104-81 in one of their better offensive outings of the season. RCU's first half highlighted the game, with the program scoring 60 points and dishing out 12 assists in the period. Gunner Walters and Brett White combined for 46 points on 17-25 shooting to lead the Warriors in scoring, while Michigan-Dearborn's Joshua Warren led the visitors with 14 points. 

THE RUNDOWN

FIRST HALF

It didn't take long for the Warriors to make their presence known, with Walters and fellow guard Brody Parker helping spark a 12-4 start. Included in that start was a brilliant alley-oop by Parker to center James Fisher on a transition play, giving the crowd plenty to cheer about to start the night. The forwards chimed in on the action following the alley-oop, with Dustin Farrow finding tough layups inside and Brett White knocking down multiple threes. The Warriors easily got to the basket, heading up 30-13 by the second media timeout. 

The offense didn't show any signs of slowing down from there, with the Warriors incorporating post-up actions for White and Fisher to score easy twos. Walters kept up the pace for RCU's offense with quick pull-ups to keep the Wolverine defense honest and nailed a three with five minutes remaining to expand the lead to 45-12. Walters and the Warriors stayed hot for the half's final five minutes, with the team playing selfless basketball capped off by an open buzzer-beating layup from Farrow to enter halftime 60-28. 

SECOND HALF

Parker picked up the offense right where it left off with a wing three to begin the second half, which helped open up the paint for the Warrior bigs to continue scoring inside. White scored three consecutive baskets for the Warriors before the half's first media timeout, and RCU maintained a comfortable margin. Tre Walker III and Roland Vincze checked in and kept up the energy for the Warriors on both ends of the floor, with Walker facilitating the offense by setting up White for another open three. 

Guard Jeremy Neal kept up the playmaking effort by the Warriors with a dish to Parker for a three, and Vincze scored a tough left-handed floater to add to the lead. A few possessions later, Walker stripped the ball from a Michigan-Dearborn guard and got open for a wing three, set up by Neal. With just over a minute to go, Ole Angestein saw his first action of the season, dishing a perfect chest pass to fellow guard Raoual Jackson for a top-of-the-key three to ice the game at 104-81. 

STAT OF THE GAME

Parker's nine rebounds set a new career high for the senior guard. 

UP NEXT

The Warriors host the Concordia Cardinals at Garth Pleasant Arena on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tipoff is at 3 p.m.

Hussein Murray - RCU Athletic Communications

Featured Image: Jaya Forti - Forti's Photos