FULTON, Mo. – In just his second game in an Owls' uniform, freshman
Spencer Yoggerst tied the game day free throw record with 14. The WWU Owls came back in the second half to battle the No. 17 Talladega Tornadoes, but fell short in a 69-65 loss.
The Owls start the season 0-2 heading into conference play. The Owls next host Williams Baptist on Thursday, Jan., 7, at 7:30 p.m.
By The Numbers
27 –
Spencer Yoggerst posted a game-high 27 points (6-11 FG, 14-15 FT).
23 – The Owls went 23-for-28 from the foul line (82.1%).
15 –
Makenzie Fessler added 15 points to the loss (5-10 FG, 3-3 3FG, 2-2 FT).
14 –Yoggerst tied the game day record for made free throws as he went 14-for-15 from the line.
12 –
Darius Yohe pulled down 12 boards with 10 coming from the defensive end.
5 – Yohe blocked five shots, bringing his career total to 75. He needs eight more to tie the career record, nine to break.
Game Flow
Codi Whitlock hit a longer jumper to put the Owls on the board following a 9-0 TC start and over five minutes of silence. The Owls scored the next five, bringing the game to 9-5, but TC pushed back a nine-point lead.
TC took a 13-point lead with 6:30 on the clock and maintained a 10+ point lead over the next three minutes.
With 3:30 remaining in the half, the Owls were in bonus.
Spencer Yoggerst was sent to the line twice, helping the Owls cut the game to seven. He then scored a long jumper to bring the Owls within five, completing the 6-0 run to end the half. The Owls trailed 27-22 heading into halftime.
TC pushed out a 15-point lead just under four minutes into the second half, 43-28.
With 13:05 on the clock, Whitlock made a bucket under the basket to jumpstart an Owls' 13-0 run to tie the game at 51-51 with 8:32 on the clock.
TC stayed one step ahead over the next five minutes, but the Owls tied up the game four more times.
A fast break dunk following a steal gave TC a two-point lead. Another turnover on the next possession gave TC the chance to go up by four with 1:27 on the clock.
Makenzie Fessler went 2-for-2 from the foul line to cut the game to two with 33 seconds on the clock. TC scored the final two points of the game on free throws, ending the game with a 69-65 loss.
