FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University men's basketball team led No. 6 Columbia College, 31-29, at halftime but the Owls could not hang onto the lead as Columbia outscored the Owls by nine in the second half to defeat the Owls, 71-64, Monday evening at Anderson Arena.
 
Trey Mitchell and DaShaun Stark led the Owls with 13 points apiece in the contest. Brandon Vice led the Owls with 11 rebounds in the game. WWU hit eight three-pointers and shot 43.1 percent from the floor in the loss.
 
The Owls return to action on Thursday, January 19th when they host Lyon College in American Midwest Conference action. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
Game Flow
In a highly contested top 25 matchup the Owls and Cougars came out trading blows. After a Cougar basket, Trey Mitchell hit a three-pointer putting the Owls ahead. Deon Pettigrew followed with a layup and the Owls lead 5-2 early in the contest. Columbia scored the next four points and a three by DaShaun Stark put the Owls ahead 8-6 with 14:42 left in the half.
 
WWU and Columbia continued to trade baskets and with the game tied at 11-11 Antonio Winn hit a three-pointer putting the Owls ahead 14-11. The Owls hung onto the lead until Nathan Biggs hit a jumper with 9:53 to go in the half, which put the Cougars ahead, 17-16.
 
The lead continued to bounce back and forth as neither team could build a lead over two points in the half, and a jumper by Brandon Vice tied the game at 27-27 with 2:48 to go in the half. Biggs answered on the next trip for the Cougars, but that would be the final basket of the half for Columbia. WWU would score the final four points, the final two by Mitchell with a jumper in the paint. William Woods would take a 31-29, lead into halftime.
 
William Woods grew its lead to four points after a Mitchell jumper in the paint to start the second half. The lead grew to as many as five, 36-31, early in the half before Columbia chipped away. The Cougars went on an 8-2 run taking a one point lead, 39-38, after a jumper by Malik Ray.
 
Like the first half, neither team could pull away and with the game tied at 41-41, Columbia came back scoring the next four points taking a 45-41 lead. Both teams added a basket and with 9:29 left in the game the Cougars led 47-43.
 
With the Owls down by four, neither team would score for the next three minutes. Deon Pettigrew broke the streak as he grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in trimming the Cougars lead down to two, 47-45, with 6:52 left in the contest.
 
The Owls kept the game close and a jumper by Stark trimmed the lead down to one, 49-48, with 5:45 left in the game. Columbia answered with another 8-2 run over the next two minutes growing its lead to seven points, 57-50, after a Biggs jumper. A three by Mitchell put the Owls down four, 57-53 with 2:46 left in the contest.
 
However, the four points would be as close as the Owls would get for the remainder of the contest as Columbia came back and scored the next six points, putting Columbia head by 10, 63-53. William Woods continued to battle and another three by Mitchell trimmed the lead down to six, 67-61, with 29 second left in the game. Columbia sealed the win by going four-for-four on the line and forcing the Owls into a turnover. The No. 19 Owls were defeated by No. 6 Columbia, 71-64.
 
By the Numbers
13 – Trey Mitchell and DaShaun Stark led the Owls with 13 points apiece
11 – Brandon Vice led the Owls with 11 rebounds
8 – WWU hit eight three-pointers in the contest
11 – William Woods had 11 assists in the contest
43.1 – The Owls shot 43.1 percent from the floor in the game
2 – WWU only had two players in double-figures
20 – William Woods committed 20 turnovers in the loss