MIAMI SHORES, Fla – Carroll men's basketball (3-7, 0-3 CCIW) made a holiday trip to sunny Miami Shores, Fla. For the 2024 Cruzin' Classic, hosted by Trip Sports Inc. Game one saw a second-half comeback propel the Pioneers to victory on Friday morning, as they defeated UMass-Dartmouth (3-5, 0-1 Little East) 70-69. The victory snapped a six-game losing streak for the Pioneers. There were 12 ties and 12 lead changes in the back-and-forth battle and a step-back three from Erik Victorson off an offensive rebound with 11 seconds remaining lifted the Pioneers to victory. 

The leading scorer was Corsair guard Isaac Percy, who registered 26 points in 38 minutes. Carroll was led in scoring by junior big man Jacob Naber, who poured in 15 points and seven rebounds. Rounding out double-digit scoring were senior Eckahelo Simpson, who registered a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double, and Victorson, who scored 12 points including the game-winner. 

The Pioneers jumped on the Corsairs early, as they started the game with an early 11-4 lead. A 17-6 run from UMD over the following nine minutes of game time put the Pioneers at their largest deficit of the first half, trailing 21-17. The two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half and went into the locker room with a 32-27 Pioneer disadvantage. 

It was a story of runs in the second half as Carroll started with a 7-0 spurt in the first two minutes to help them regain the lead. With the score tied 40-40, the Pioneers made an 12-5 run to give them their largest lead since the early goings of the first half. The Corsairs responded with a mini-run of their own to knot the game once again. After trading baskets for several minutes, a layup from Naber and the Victorson dagger in the final minute gave the Pioneers a 1-point victory to open the 2024 Cruzin' Classic. 

Carroll gets off their feet for the night before returning to action tomorrow, where they conclude the 2024 Cruzin' Classic with a game against Widener at noon (EST).