FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University men's basketball team opened the American Midwest Conference Championship with a dominating 70-40 win over Harris-Stowe State University Tuesday evening. The Owls move to 7-7 on the season heading into the quarterfinals.

Prior to the game, the Owls recognized the four senior players and one manager. 
 
The Owls face one-seeded Lyon College on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in Batesville, Ark.
 
By The Numbers
45.9 – The Owls shot 45.9% from the field throughout the 40 minutes of play. They shot 52.4% in the first half.
41 – The Owls outscored HSSU 41-21 in the second half.
15 – Makenzie Fessler scored a floor-high 15 points after hitting three three-pointers.
11 – Jared Crutcher added 11 points to the win while shooting 57.1% from the field.
9 – Jared Crutcher pulled down nine boards with six coming from the defensive end.
8 – Makenzie Fessler and Darius Yohe pulled down eight boards a piece. Yohe and Ian Hodges added eight points to the win.
3 – Jared Crutcher blocked three shots all coming in the first 3 ½ minutes of the game.
 
Game Flow
Jared Crutcher began the game with back-to-back blocks, and Tyriel Nelson and Darius Yohe combined for five points to take a 5-0 lead 2 ½ minutes in. HSSU followed with a 7-0 run to take a two-point lead five minutes in, and the lead bounced between the two teams over the next 2 ½ minutes. 
 
Makenzie Fessler hit back-to-back threes, and Yohe followed up with two good free throws to put the Owls up by seven with 11:07 to play in the first half, 19-12. 
 
HSSU cut the game to three following two buckets, but Ian Hodges countered with a jumper to put the Owls back up by five with 6:17 to play, 23-18.
 
Mike Robinson hit a three to put the Owls up by seven with 4:08 on the clock, and Nelson scored the final points of the half on a three to give the Owls a 10-point lead heading into break, 29-19.
 
The Owls pushed their lead to 16 just under two minutes into the second half, but HSSU slowly cut the Owls' lead to seven with 13:50 to play, 37-30.
 
A three from Matt Burgess began an Owls' 12-2 run to take up a 17-point lead with 8:06 to play, 49-32. Burgess scored six of the points, and Fessler added four.
 
The Owls tacked on a 7-0 run by Hodges and Crutcher after HSSU broke their silence, pushing out a 22-point lead with 4:19 to play.
 
The Owls added the final touch with a 9-2 run to close out the game with five points from Noah Wurtz and two from Jacob Randall and Hodges to end with a 30-point win, 70-40.