ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The William Woods University men's basketball team was unable to pull out a win over Missouri Baptist University to start the 2020 portion of the season. The 59-56 loss brings the Owls to 7-8 on the season with a 3-5 conference mark.
 
The Owls close out their seven-game road stretch at Park University on Tuesday, January 7. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

By The Numbers
15 – Ian Hodges scored a team-high 15 points.
10 – Makenzie Fessler pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds with eight coming from the defensive end.
4 – Darius Yohe blocked four MBU shots.
3 – Hodges and D'Aaron Owens grabbed three steals, and Mike Robinson dished in three assists. 

Game Flow
Ian Hodges hit the first jumper of the game to give the Owls a 3-0 lead two minutes in. 
 
After MBU went 2-for-2 from the foul line to cut the game to one, the Owls answered with back-to-back threes from Andrew Nett to take a seven-point lead, 9-2.
 
Jason Mason combined for four points to give the Owls an eight-point advantage with 9:17 to play after MBU brought the game within four, 17-9.
 
MBU cut the game to three twice. Both times the Owls pushed back up by five, but MBU scored six straight to take the lead with 1:21 left in the half, 22-21.
 
Makenzie Fessler tied up the game with 30 seconds on the clock, but MBU went 1-for-2 from the foul line with 3 seconds to play to hold a one-point lead heading into halftime, 23-22.
 
MBU pushed out a six-point lead 3:30 into the second half, 30-24.
 
With a 7-0 run in a minute's span, the Owls gained back the lead, 31-30. This would be the last time the Owls would hold the lead. MBU pushed a 10-2 run to bring the game to 40-33 with 12:06 to play.
 
Hodges scored five to bring the Owls within five with 7:49 on the clock after MBU put their lead in double-digits.
 
Back-to-back threes from Mike Robinson brought the Owls within two, and Hodges rounded out the 8-0 run with two good free throws to tie the game with 3:54 to play, 53-53.
 
MBU scored, but just 16 seconds later Darius Yohe evened the score again with an in-the-paint bucket.
 
MBU knocked in a bucket on the next possession to take back the lead with 2:53 to go, and they scored again to take a four-point lead.
 
On an offensive rebound, Yohe was fouled and sent to the line. He went 1-for-2, bringing the Owls within three, 59-56.
 
With 27 seconds on the clock and the ball in WWU's hands, both teams burned a full timeout. 
 
Coming out of the timeouts, Robinson took a three with 18 seconds on the clock. He missed, but the Owls got the offensive rebound.
 
With 12 seconds to play, the Owls called another timeout. With one last chance to tie the game, Hodges took the three with :05 on the board. He missed the shot, and MBU pulled down the rebound to end the game with a 59-56 loss.