FULTON, Mo.—The William Woods University men's basketball team drained a program record 16 3-pointers on Tuesday night against Haskell Indian Nations University, which allowed the Owls to collect its fourth consecutive win and go on for the 91-75 victory.
The Owls (5-3; 2-0 AMC), shot a season-high 57.4 percent from the floor, went 16-of-23 from downtown and hit 13-of-17 from the free throw line.
The team had four players reach double-figures and were led by
Bryan DeGeare, as the junior totaled a game-high 19 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting from the floor and hit all five of his shots from beyond-the-arc.
Trey Mitchell had a breakout game, earning 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while
Kevin House contributed 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting,
Deon Pettigrew netted 13 points and grabbed down a game-high six boards.
Darrien Dickey added nine off the bench, while
Klayton Kuschel and
Austin Lowery totaled eight points each on the night. Lowery, also dished out a team-high seven assists.
The Indians (2-7), meanwhile, shot 46.4 percent from the floor and were led by Wilber Everett and Ralston Moore each having 16 points. Leading scorer Tsalidi Sequoyah was held to 12 points, while Duelle Gore added 11.
In the first half, the Owls couldn't be slowed down offensively, as they went 19-of-25 (76.0 percent) from the floor and 9-of-10 from three.
At the 14:36 mark, the team jumped out to a 13-4 lead, after DeGeare drained a 3-pointer. Over the next three minutes, WWU would stretch its advantage out to 15 (27-12), capped off by DeGeare sinking another three.
The Indians, would cut into the deficit at the 8:13 mark, as Keith Moore hit a 3-pointer of his own, which put the Owls now ahead 31-23. WWU would respond well, however, as they went on an 18-6 run, with House hitting a 3-pointer and putting them up 49-29, with 2:51 left.
The Owls would maintain that 20-point lead the rest of the half and headed into the break ahead 56-36 over HINU. Three WWU players totaled 11 points in the first frame, while they out-rebounded the Indians 14-8.
It was more of the same story in the second half, as the offense continued rolling for William Woods. With 13:00 minutes left in regulation, the Owls were up 78-49, after
Keyaire Marshall drained his 3-pointer, off an assist from Lowery.
The Indians wouldn't go quietly though, as they narrowed the Owls lead down to 14 (86-72), after gore made his basket in the paint with 2:55 remaining. That, however, would be as close as they would get, with WWU hanging on for the 16-point victory.
The Owls will look to continue its momentum its gained on Thursday night, when they jump back into American Midwest Conference (AMC) play on the road against Missouri Baptist University. Tip-off will start at 7:30 p.m.
Fans make sure to stay updated on wwuowls.com on Thursday night for a full recap and score from St. Louis, Missouri.
