May 9th Columbia SC - With playoff positioning tightening across the ECBL standings, Kingdom Life Basketball Club picked up a massive late-season victory Saturday afternoon, defeating the Carolina Crusaders 112-110 in a highly competitive matchup at Heathwood Hall Gymnasium.

The win improves KLBC to 6-3 on the season and moves the organization into the No. 5 spot in the current ECBL playoff standings. Meanwhile, the Carolina Crusaders fall to 5-6 and currently sit in the No. 10 playoff position with just three weeks remaining in the regular season.

With the postseason race becoming more crowded by the week, Saturday’s matchup carried major playoff implications for both teams, and the game delivered from start to finish.

Kingdom Life Basketball Club overcame a strong offensive performance from the Crusaders by controlling the rebounding battle and knocking down timely perimeter shots throughout the contest. KLBC finished with 60 total rebounds and connected on 17 three-pointers in the victory.

David Pino led the balanced KLBC attack with 22 points while also grabbing 10 rebounds. Obray Rufus added 22 points and knocked down six three-pointers in a huge offensive performance. Jai Rorie finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Nas Tyson added 20 points, seven assists, and four made three-pointers.

Duane Goodman controlled the tempo throughout the game, recording 15 points and nine assists, while Victor Tshiona contributed five points and 10 rebounds in the win.

The Carolina Crusaders continued to battle offensively behind another strong scoring effort from Eric Eaves, who poured in a game-high 28 points. D’Monte Evans added 26 points and six assists, while Asanti Price chipped in 22 points and nine rebounds.

Quan Prowell added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Crusaders, while TJ Brown contributed 14 points off the bench.

The Crusaders shot nearly 49% from the field and remained within striking distance throughout the game, but KLBC’s rebounding advantage and perimeter shooting proved to be the difference in the closing moments.

As the ECBL regular season enters its final stretch, both teams remain firmly in the playoff picture, but every remaining game will carry major significance. With three weeks left in the season, the standings remain extremely tight and plenty could still change before postseason seeding is finalized.