ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The William Woods University men's basketball team narrowly defeated Harris-Stowe State University Tuesday evening, 78-71. The win moves the Owls to 12-6 overall with a 9-3 conference mark.
 
David Johnson Jr. posted his fifth double-double of the season with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Fourteen of his points came from the 16-0 run the Owls grabbed to start the second half. He went 10-for-25 from the field while pulling down 12 defensive boards.
 
The Owls continue their road stretch with a contest at Columbia College on Thursday, Jan. 24. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in Columbia, Mo.
 
Game Flow
HSSU jumped out to an early 8-0 lead just two minutes into the game, and the Owls did not find themselves on the board until almost four minutes in when Shad Kimble grabbed his own rebound and went back up for two. 
 
Back-to-back threes from Kimble and Aaron Brookins followed by an in-the-paint shot from Jason Walker put the Owls within one, 13-12. 
 
HSSU pushed back their lead and extended it to 15 with 6:40 to play in the first half, 31-16, but an 8-0 run helped bring the Owls within seven with 4:06 on the clock. 
 
The Owls scored the final four points of the half on free throws to keep the game within seven heading into halftime, 39-32.
 
Coming into the second half, Johnson Jr. dominated the floor as he scored 14 of the Owl's 16-0 run over the first six minutes. 
 
HSSU brought the game within two after breaking their silence, but the Owls shot out a 10-0 run to go up by 12 with 8:10 on the clock, 60-48.
 
The Owls maintained the lead and a three from Brian Enriquez put the Owls up by 15 with 5:19 on the clock. 
 
HSSU brought the game to single digits with 3:58 to play but were unsuccessful in cutting the game close enough to make a difference. 
 
In the final minute, Gause was sent to the line three times and went 5-for-6 to help the Owls secure the 78-71 victory.
 
By The Numbers
26 – David Johnson Jr. posted 26 points while shooting 10-for-25 from the field.
13 – Johnson Jr. pulled down a floor-high 13 rebounds with 12 coming from the defensive end.
12 – Treshawn Gause scored 12 points in the win with six coming from the foul line. 
11 – Makenzie Fessler grabbed 11 boards.
10 – Shad Kimble and Aaron Brookins each added 10 points to the win.