HILLSBORO, Kan. – The William Woods University Men's Basketball team was led by newcomers Shannon James and Brandon Vice in its 81-68 victory over No. 10 Tabor College. James and Vice scored 22 points and 21 points, respectfully, in the contest to lead the Owls.
 
Tabor entered the season as they No. 10 ranked team in the NAIA Men's Basketball Division II Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll the NAIA announced last week.
 
Following James and Vice, Alec Mulvihill scored 13 points and Antonio Winn added 11 points rounding out the double-figure scorers. Klayton Kuschel led the Owls with 15 rebounds in the contest.
 
The Owls return to action on Friday, November 4th when they play Culver-Stockton at the Columbia College Cougars vs. Cancer Classic. The Owls and Wildcats will tip at 3 p.m.
 
Game Flow
The Owls came quick led by James as he scored five of the first 10 points for the Owls as they led by six, 10-4. After the Owls went up by six, WWU's offense went cold in the contest as they did not score for the next four minutes of the contest, in which Tabor answered back by scoring the next 10 points taking a four-point lead, 14-10.
 
Brandon Vice broke the scoreless streak by hitting a pair of free throws, putting the Owls down two, 14-12. After Vice's free throws, the Owls only scored ten more points in the first half of the contest. Tabor slowly grew the lead to 11 points, 33-22, when Tullio Parry scored a jumper in the paint for the Blue Jays. The Owls found themselves down 33-22 at halftime.
 
WWU slowly chipped away at the lead of the Blue Jays and WWU had the lead down to six pints, 33-27, 35 seconds into the second half of the contest. After Tabor stretched the lead back to eight points, the Owls continued to attack and cut the lead down to two points, after a pair of free throws by Vice.
 
With the Owls down five, 40-35, back-to-back three-pointer by James and Vice gave the Owls a 41-40 lead. After taking the lead the Owls did not give up the lead again in the contest. The Owls built the lead up to ten points, 52-42, after an Alec Mulvihill three-pointer.
 
The Blue Jays would not go away quietly as they trimmed the Owls lead down to three points, 56-53, after a jumper by Julian Winton. This would be as close as Tabor would get in the contest as William Woods had the lead back to double-figures, 66-55, after a pair of free throws by Vice.
 
William Woods grew the lead to 15 points, 72-57, after a pair of three throws by Klayton Kuschel with 4:41 left in the contest. The Owls did not let the Blue Jays trim the lead any closer than 11 points for the remainder of the game as WWU came away with an 81-68 victory.  
 
By the Numbers
22 – Shannon James led the Owls with 22 points in his first game with the Owls
21 – Brandon Vice followed with 21 points in his Owls debut
40 % - WWU shot 40 percent from the floor in the contest
12 – The Owls dished out 12 assists in the contest
15 – Klayton Kuschel led the Owls with 15 rebounds in the contest