LAKE WALES, Fla. (February 26, 2021) - St. Thomas University (STU) Men's Basketball (14-10) clinched a spot in the Sun Conference Tournament Championship for the second consecutive season, defeating the regular-season Sun Conference champion, Warner Royals (18-6) 78-73 in the semifinals on Friday evening. 

After not winning a Sun Conference tournament game since the 2015-16 season and not advancing to the Sun Conference Championship since 2012-13, Head Coach D.P. Harris has guided the Bobcats to consecutive Sun Conference tournament title games in both seasons since taking over at STU.

Bobcat Starters
Chris Whitaker - Guard
Justyn Rogers - Guard
Tyrik Waite - Guard
Dwayne Russell - Forward
Jahsim Floyd - Forward

Game Notes

• The top-seeded Royals knocked down consecutive three-pointers to open the game, taking a 6-0 lead. 
• Waite cut the early deficit in half with his first three-point make of the night.
• Rogers followed with a make on a jump shot, bringing the Bobcats back within one, 6-5.
• Russell recorded four straight points for STU, tying the game at 9-9.
• Rogers gave the Bobcats their first lead, 12-9, of the semifinal with a three-pointer.
•  Warner recorded six consecutive points, taking a 15-12 lead when Pace added three points to tie the game. 
• St. Thomas reclaimed the lead 18-17 midway through the first half with another three-point make. 
• Rogers extended the lead to 23-19 with his second three-point make in the game.
• With under four minutes remaining in the first half, Quinterious Jones added two points to put the score at 31-26.
• Rogers beat the halftime buzzer with a lay-up, sending the game into the break with STU leading 35-32.
• Rogers recorded the first four points for STU to begin the second half, extending the lead to 39-34.
• Warner briefly retook the lead near the midway point of the second half when Jacob Ray added two points to extend the lead to 49-46.
• Whitaker scored four consecutive points for STU, giving the Bobcats a 53-51 lead.
• Jones extended the lead to 58-51 with three straight points of his own.
• Nearing the two-minute mark, Warner cut the St. Thomas lead to 62-58 by hitting two free-throws.
• Christian Dejean nailed a three-pointer, bringing the advantage to 65-58 with 2:11 left in the contest.
• Whitaker sank four consecutive free throws, bringing the STU lead to 69-58 with less than two minutes in the semifinal match-up.
• Warner capitalized on a Rogers turnover and hit a free-throw to cut the Bobcat lead to single-digits, 73-65.
• STU entrusted Whitaker at the free-throw line, and the junior made all four attempts in the final minute, sealing the 78-73 semifinal win for STU. 

MVBobcats
Chris Whitaker: 21-points, 10/10 FT
Justyn Rogers: 17-points, 5-5 FG, 10-rebounds

Upcoming
St. Thomas returns to the Sun Conference tournament title game for the second consecutive season and will take on the second-seeded Keiser Seahawks on Saturday evening from Lake Wales, Fla. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

-STU-