SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The William Woods University men's basketball team will start the second round of American Midwest Conference play on Saturday, as the team will look to sweep the series against Benedictine University at Springfield. Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m.
 
The Owls (7-12, 4-7 AMC ) are coming off a nail bitter against Missouri Baptist University last Saturday evening, as double figure performances from DJ Johnson and TaiRhe Turner guided the Owls to a 80-76 victory.  The match-up was a hard fought battle between both teams, a game that saw the score tied seven different occasions and totaled a combine of 94 free throw attempts.
 
In a back and forth first half, WWU would gain the momentum going into the locker room, as Nate Bitner would sink a three pointer on the wing right before the buzzer, giving the Owls the one point, 30-29 advantage going into the half.
 
In the first frame, William Woods shot 43 percent from the line and was 9-of-15 from the free throw line, leading the way was Bitner who collected seven points and Johnson added six points.
 
The Spartans came out of the locker room and knocked down the first field goal of the half, retaking the lead at 31-30 but that would be the last time, as the Owls controlled the rest of the second half.
 
Down the stretch, the Owls extended its lead to double digits with 4:57 left in regulation, pushing the team team's lead to its largest of the game, 60-44. However, MBU came out in full court defense, trying to put pressure on the Owls, after forcing a few WWU turnovers the Spartans capitalized and came within three points with 1:30 left to play.
 
Despite the comeback effort from MBU, the Owls maintained its composure, knocked down a couple of free throws and went on to secure the 80-76 victory. WWU closed the game shooting 51 percent from the field, led by Johnson totaling 15 points and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds, while Turner tied his career-high chipping in 10 points on the night.
 
The last time these two teams met back on November 22^nd,  WWU had four players reach double-figures in the defeat over Benedictine-Springfield (8-11;  5-7 AMC). The Owls held on for the four-point victory (86-82),  giving the team its first AMC win on the season.
 
As a junior college transfer, Johnson, made his appearance known against the Bulldogs as he scored a game-high 25 points, which was also a career-high for the Topeka, Kansas native, while Jarett Boss netted 16 points off the bench and Ryan Hill and Bitner added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
 
On the season, Hill and Johnson led the way offensively, as both average 11 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from the field, while Bitner (9.1ppg) continues to put up solid numbers for the team each game and Boss, who has been a spark off the bench has upped his average to 7.7 points per game.
 
The Bulldogs are coming off a 77-70 defeat in the hands of Missouri Baptist University last night.  Stephen Shepherd led the Bulldogs with a double-double performance, totaling a season-high 20 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Offensively, Clavontae Brown is pacing the way for BU on the season, averaging 10.4 points per game, shooting 52 percent from the field and 3 percent from beyond the arc, while Thomas Dillard, Stephen Shepherd, and Darius Stallworth all average nine points per game and shooting  over 35 percent from the field.
 
Both teams will be participating in the Coaches vs. Cancer Sneakers Week, which is a nationwide event when basketball coaches across the country unite for a common cause.
 
To learn more about Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Week, visit HERE
 
Fans check back tomorrow evening from a full and score from Springfield, Illinois.

Tweet ##Owls_MBB