FULTON, Mo. – The No. 23 William Woods University men's basketball team shot 44 percent from the floor but it was not enough as visiting Central Baptist College defeated the Owls, 97-95, on Saturday afternoon in the AMC Game of the Week.
 
Trey Mitchell led the Owls with 24 points. Brandon Vice and Jonny Woolf added 12 each. DaShaun Stark and Antonio Winn scored 13 and 12 points respectfully to round out the double-figure scorers for the Owls. Darrien Dickey led the Owls with 10 rebounds in the contest. WWU hit 11 three-pointers in the loss.
 
WWU returns to action on Thursday, January 26th when they travel to St. Louis, Missouri to face Missouri Baptist University. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
Game Flow
Trey Mitchell got the offense clicking early in the first half of the contest as he hit three three-pointers in the first four minutes of the contest. After Mitchell's third three, WWU led the Mustangs, 11-7. Central Baptist answered back and after a pair of free throws by Marcelious Green, the game was tied at 11-11 with 14:32 left in the half.
 
WWU slowly started to pull away as they went on a 14-5 run stretching its lead to nine points, 25-16, after a DaShaun Stark jumper. The Owls continued to hold onto its and held a nine-point lead, 29-20, after a pair of free throws by Stark, with 10:39 left in the half.
 
Central Baptist looked as if they were going to make a run at the Owls, however, the Owls stretched its lead to 12 points, 37-25, after a Keyaire Marshall three-pointer. Central Baptist would not go away as the Mustangs ended the first half on a 15-5 run trimming the Owls lead down to two, 42-40, heading to halftime.
 
The lead would exchange hands multiple times early in the second half of the contest. After a three-point play by Stark the Owls led by three, 45-42. The next trip down the court, the Mustangs tied the game on a Jayln McBride three-pointer. After the first five minutes of the second half the game was tied at 54-54.
 
Over the next four minutes the Mustangs would outscore the Owls by five points and took a five-point lead, 64-59, after a Teshawn Sims three-pointer. WWU would slowly comeback as a three by Mitchell the Owls trailed by one, 65-64, with 10:40 to go in the contest.
 
A minute later, Mitchell gave the Owls a point lead but the lead did not last long as the Mustangs built its lead back to four, 70-66. WWU answered back by scoring the next three points and after a pair of free-throws by Antonio Winn the Owls led 71-70, which would be the Owls last lead of the contest.
 
Central Baptist would score the next nine points, 79-71, capped by a McBride jumper. William Woods continued to attack and had the lead down to five before the Mustangs grew its lead to 11 points, after a DJ Reed jumper in the paint.
 
The Mustangs stretched the lead to 13 points, 91-78, with 2:34 left in the game and the Owls slowly started to make a comeback. Over the next minute the Owls went on a 7-0 run capped by a Jonny Woolf two pointer that put the Owls down six, 91-85. However, the Mustangs grew the lead back to nine points, 95-86, with 30 seconds to go in the contest.
 
WWU came back and cut the lead down to four, 95-91, after a Winn free-throw with 21 seconds left in the contest. The lead grew back to six before Mitchell cut the lead down to four, 97-93, after a pair of free throws with 14 seconds to go in the contest. The Owls made the last shot of the contest by Darrien Dickey but it was not enough as the Owls was defeated 97-95, by Central Baptist.  
 
By the Numbers
24 – Trey Mitchell led the Owls with 24 points
5 – WWU had five double-figure scorers in the contest
11 – The Owls hit 11 three-pointer
6 – Mitchell hit six of the Owls 11 three-pointers
44.4% - WWU shot 44.4 percent from the floor in the contest
10 – Darrien Dickey came off the bench and collected a team-high 10 rebounds
5 – Antonio Winn led the Owls with five assists
32 – The Owls scored 32 points in the paint and 32 bench points in the contest
75 – WWU and CBC combined to attempted 75 free throws