COLUMBIA, Mo. – The William Woods University men's basketball team was looking for a season sweep of No. 5 Columbia College on Saturday afternoon, but the Owls fell short as they were defeated by the Cougars, 85-80, at the South Caldwell Complex.
 
DaShaun Stark led the Owls with 24 points on the game on 9-of-16 shooting. Brandon Vice followed with 23 points and led the Owls with 10 rebounds. Brian Enriquez and Darrien Dickey rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12 and 10 points respectfully. WWU shot 48.9 percent in the loss.
 
The Owls return to action on Thursday, Feb. 1 when they host William Baptist College in AMC action at Anderson Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
Game Flow
The Owls and Cougars were trading baskets over the first couple minutes of the contest as a DaShaun Stark jumper put the Owls ahead by one, 7-6. Columbia came back and took the lead on a Nic Reynolds two with 17:46 left prior to halftime.
 
Columbia continued to try to extend its lead but each time they made a run the Owls had an answer and a three by Brandon Vice tied the game at 13-13. Following Vices' three, Columbia stretched its lead to 11, 26-15, after going on a 13-2 run. William Woods continued to chip away at the lead and had the lead down to two, 31-29, after a pair of free throws by Darrien Dickey, with 5:44 left before halftime.
 
Columbia tried to stretch its lead back to double-figures but each run they made the Owls responded. Hank Mathews made the last basket of the half and Columbia took a nine-point lead, 42-33, into halftime.
 
The Owls came out in the second half and got the Cougars lead down to six, 44-38, after a layup by Darrien Dickey. However, after the bucket the Cougars scored the next five points taking a 11-point lead, 49-38, with 16:47 left in the game.
 
Over the next six minutes of the contest, the Owls continued to trim into the Cougars lead and after a jumper by Mackenzie Fessler the Owls found themselves down six, 58-52. Columbia continued to extend its lead back to double-figures and with 6:32 left in the contest, Columbia led 68-58.
 
Columbia grew its lead to 15 points, 82-67, with 1:47 to go but the Owls continued to fight back. William Woods closed the game on a 13-2 run but could not come all the way back as they were defeated by the No. 5 Cougars, 85-80.
 
By the Numbers
4 – The Owls had four players score in double-figures in the contest
10 – Brandon Vice led the Owls with 10 rebounds
24 – DaShaun Stark led the Owls with 24 points
9 – WWU hit nine three in the contest
25-of-36 – The Owls hit 25-of-36 free throws in the loss to Columbia
48.9 – William Woods shot 48.9 percent in the contest
5 – The Owls blocked five shots in the loss
22 – WWU got 22 points in the paint