MT. CARMEL, Ill. -- Wabash Valley held off Rend Lake, 70-65, in Great Rivers Athletic Conference men's basketball Wednesday night at Spencer Sports Center.
The win marked the third time this season that the 13-11 Warriors have won three games in a row. And they are back to even in GRAC play at 6-6.
In the process, Isaac Wodajo's club has been buttressed by the continued emergence of a freshman scoring threat on an otherwise veteran team.
Brandon Rayzer-Moore has now put together back-to-back career nights. And the Warriors needed every one of his 26 points against Rend Lake.
After the 6-foot-5 Jeffersonville product hit a popper in the lane to put WVC up, 60-50, with under five minutes remaining, the visitors ran off a quick five unanswered points to get close again.
There Rayzer-Moore was again, with a corner pocket triple to make it 63-55. Later, he flashed into the paint for a reverse layup to make it 67-60 with just over one minute left.
Three baskets. Three different kinds of shots.
"Every game I try to be aggressive," Rayzer-Moore said. "Late in the shot clock, I just needed to put my head down and get to the rim."
Even with all that, it took a diving steal by Gary Clay with five seconds left, which prevented Rend Lake from getting a potential game-tying shot off, to clinch the win.
Clay was fouled and hit two free throws with three seconds left to account for the final score.
Jakobi Heady and fellow Chicago sophomore Clay are the top two scorers on the Warrior team. With Rayzer-Moore's totals now on the increase, it appears they have added a third sure-handed out court scoring option as the stretch run to the post-season heats up.
Rayzer-Moore says all three offer different strengths.
"Gary (Clay), he's one of the best players in the conference at getting to the rim," he said. "And Jakobi (Heady) has inside shots, outside shots, mid-range shots. I really look up to him."
As for his own development, Rayzer-Moore says it is about getting to where he needs to be on the court.
"I know where I thrive," he said. "My teammates get me open at those spots so I can knock shots down."
Joining Rayzer-Moore in double figures was Clay with 16 points.
Rend Lake (6-14, 3-9 in GRAC) was led by Blake McCay, who scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half.
Wabash Valley held a 35-27 advantage at halftime and extended that lead to 44-31 three minutes into the second half.
The Warriors next play at Southwestern (15-7, 6-4) on Saturday at 3 p.m. WVC beat the Blue Storm, 108-103, in double overtime in the first meeting between the two on Dec. 10 in Mt. Carmel.
Both teams will have three-game winning streaks to protect.