NAPLES, Fla. – The UW-Superior men's basketball team capped its stay in the Sunshine State with a 55-46 victory over Clarkson at the Basketball Destinations D3 Naples Shootout on Friday.
 
Coming off of an upset of No. 8 John Carroll Thursday at the Moe Kent Family Fieldhouse in southwest Florida, UWS won its second consecutive game, inching closer to .500 at 5-6, with a balanced team effort that saw seven players score at least five points apiece. Senior Josef Fahrenholtz (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) led the way with a team-best 11 points and seven rebounds, while classmate Levy Miguel (Luanda, Angola/Canarias Basketball Academy) and junior J'Vaun Walker (Rosharon, Texas/Manvel) added nine points each.
 
The Yellowjackets shot nearly 43 percent from long range, connecting on 6-of-14 3-pointers, including 4-for-7 (57.1 percent) in the first half alone. UWS kept Clarkson (5-5) out of rhythm, limiting the Golden Knights to just 29.4 percent from the floor, a season-best defensive figure. Superior caused 21 Golden Knights' turnovers and swiped 11 steals, converting the miscues into 13 points.
 
After a back-and-forth first 11 minutes that featured four ties and three lead changes, Miguel gave his team the lead for good at 17-15 following junior T.J. Moberg (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) corralling an offensive rebound of a Miguel miss. Superior built its lead to as many as eight at 28-20 with just under four minutes to play in the first half when junior Joey Barker (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) knocked down a 3-pointer, assisted by Fahrenholz. UWS was up, 29-24, at halftime.
 
Clarkson drew to within one on two occasions at 29-28 and 31-30, respectively, with two free throws each by Ryan Miles-Ferguson and Teddy Fravel, but UWS quickly extended the advantage to nine as Fahrenholtz dropped in a triple of his own from Moberg for a 42-33 game with 13:01 remaining.
 
Sophomore Jayden Fitch (Fall Creek, Wis./Fall Creek) gave UWS its first double-digit lead at 49-38 with less than eight minutes on the clock and the 'Jackets cruised from there.
 
Garret Delaney scored a game-high 13 points for Clarkson, while Jack Dalgety led all players with 10 rebounds.
 
UWS next jumps back into Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play next Saturday, hosting Northland at 3 p.m., at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.