Raleigh, N.C. – The Regent University Men's Basketball team closed out a weekend road trip on Saturday afternoon, putting together one of their most balanced efforts of the season against, but fell to William Peace University by a final score of 77-67. Despite the final score, the Royals continued to demonstrate significant improvement on both ends of the floor, particularly in the second half where they outscored the Pacers 35–34.
Regent's offense found their rhythm through a balanced attack that saw two players reach double figures. Senior Darrin Clark l(Suffolk, VA) led the team with 12 points, adding two steals and an assist while Junior Dorian Tema (Frederick, MD) also finished with 12 points to go along with 5 rebounds, showing his strength inside the paint. Junior Joshua Hanna (Chesterfield, VA) contributed with 9 points and 10 rebounds, anchoring the Royals' interior play and setting a physical tone against William Peace's front court. Freshman Grant Worley (Chesapeake, VA) added 8 points on a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, while fellow Freshman Chase Mullen (Virginia Beach, VA) added 8 points and 5 rebounds in 26 minutes of work.
Off the bench, Junior Emani Langley (Chesapeake, VA) provided a spark from deep, hitting a pair of three-pointers to finish with 6 points in just six minutes. Junior Antoine Brown (Chesapeake, VA) and Sophomore Ichi Layne (Middlesex, VA) each added valuable minutes, combining for 10 points and key defensive stops that helped Regent stay within striking distance throughout the second half. As a team, the Royals made the most of their opportunities at the charity stripe, connecting on 24 of 29 free throws (82.8%), while also out-rebounding the Pacers 37–33. Regent showed resilience defensively, forcing seven steals and converting them into 10 fast-break points.
After trailing 43–32 at the half, the Royals came out of the locker room with a quick 5–0 run fueled by Clark and Hanna. Regent's defense tightened as well, holding the Pacers to just nine field goals in the second half and forced several key shot-clock violations. The comeback effort was highlighted by interior scoring, as the Royals outscored the William Peace 20-10 in the paint after halftime.
Regent will be back in action on Wednesday, December 17th when they travel to Southern Virginia University for their final game before Christmas. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00pm.
