FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University men's basketball team opened up American Midwest Conference play with a 78-63 win over Hannibal-LaGrange University. The Owls improve to 3-3 on the season with a 1-0 conference mark.
 
The Owls continue conference play at home with a 3 p.m. game time versus St. Louis College of Pharmacy on Saturday, Nov. 23.
 
By The Numbers
43.8 – The Owls shot 43.8% from the field through 40 minutes of play.
14 – Andrew Nett and Makenzie Fessler each posted a floor-high 14 points. Nett scored all 14 in the first half and went 4-for-8 from the three-point line. Fessler went 5-for-6 from the field.
12 – Ian Hodges chipped in 12 points to the win.
11 – Darius Yohe pulled down a floor-high 11 boards with seven coming from the defensive end.
5 – Treshawn Gause dished in five assists.
 
Game Flow
Makenzie Fessler hit a three to begin the game, and the Owls pushed an eight-point lead just over three minutes into the game, 10-2. HLGU turned on their switch and slowly evened the score at 14-14 with 13:43 on the clock. The teams knotted twice more with HLGU taking the lead twice, but back-to-back threes from Andrew Nett put the Owls up by five just over halfway through the first, 23-18. 
 
A third three from Nett started an 11-2 run to give the Owls a 12-point lead with 6:27 to play, 34-22. HLGU brought the game within 10, but Andrew Nett scored five more, and Treshawn Gause scored an easy layup on a fast break to put the Owls up by 16, 46-30. HLGU scored the final points of the half, sending the teams into the locker room with the Owls leading 46-34.
 
Ian Hodges scored the first points of the second half, but HLGU cut the game to nine just over halfway through, 60-51. Following a mass substitution, the Owls struck a 6-0 run to take a 15-point lead, 66-51. Minutes later, Hodges scored five and Makenzie Fessler hit a bucket in the paint to take a 19-point lead. 
 
HLGU scored to break the Owls' 7-0 run, but Codi Whitlock smashed down a fast break dunk following a D'Aaron Owens' steal to put the Owls back up by 19 with 4:32 to play. The Owls maintained the strong lead and ended the game with a 78-63 conference win.