Box Score WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. - (RV) William Woods University (6-2, 1-1 American Midwest Conference) had four scoring in double figures for the fifth time this season, guided by Kevin Taylor's team-high 20 points (7-9 field goals, 4-6 3-pointers and 2-2 free throws) and game-high nine rebounds (three offensive), en route to earning its first AMC win of the season, an 84-66 victory over Williams Baptist University (3-4, 1-1) Saturday at Southerland-Mabee Center.

"We've still got a ways to go," William Woods men's basketball coach Jordan Ashton said. "We're figuring it out together, day by day, but it was great to get back on track tonight. Tough team coming to our place on Tuesday. We need to be better and get another one."

The Owls tied their season-high in points scored (84) for the third time, and of those games, they allowed the least points Saturday. Joining Taylor in having a double-digit scoring display were Henry Shannon III with 17 points (7-10 field goals and 3-4 free throws), five rebounds (four offensive) and two assists, Francis Okwuosah with 12 points, three boards and two steals (game-high) and Aaiden Ashton with 10 points (2-4 3-pointers and 2-3 free throws) and two rebounds off the bench. Supplying WWU's high-scoring offense, D'Mari Wiltz tallied a game-high five assists and added six points and four rebounds.

For the first nine minutes of the first half, it remained tight with five lead changes and three ties, and the last of those lead changes benefitted the Owls. Trailing 10-9, Taylor pulled down a defensive board, and then Ashton cashed in his second 3-pointer in 1:15 to give WWU the lead for good at 12-10 with 11:00 to go in the half. 

While the Owls did stay in front from there, the Eagles stayed with them and didn't go down by more than eight points in the first half. When Woods did that, it went on an 8-3 run with four Owls scoring; Shannon's layup capped the scoring surge and made it 31-23 WWU with 3:03 remaining in the half. Williams Baptist brought it back to a one-possession game (31-28) on Elisa Cofield's layup with 1:22 left. That was the final field goal of the first half; Taylor converted two free throws, and the Eagles' Amarion Wilson made one free throw to put it at 33-29 Owls at halftime.

William Woods was firing on all cylinders to begin the second half, going on an 11-3 run to increase its advantage to 44-32 with 16:24 remaining. In that stretch, Taylor posted five points (one 3-pointer) and Shannon four points, and Okwuosah's jumper off a Nate Schwartze defensive rebound concluded the run.

The Owls remained on top by double digits from there, and they went up by 21 points (69-48) thanks to a 9-0 run. Shannon scored a layup and a free throw, and Okwuosah knocked down two shots from deep, his second finishing that stretch with 7:13 left. Soon after, Ashton handed WWU its most significant advantage, 76-52, of the contest when he had a three-point play that began with a layup off a Taylor steal. For the final 6:00, the Owls utilized their bench, which scored 20 points in the matchup.

Dominating in nearly all facets, William Woods collected 37 rebounds (14 offensive) with 23 second-chance points, scored 15 points off 14 forced turnovers and went 30-59 (50.8 percent) from the field, 8-29 (27.6 percent) from deep and 16-22 (72.7 percent) from the free throw line. Williams Baptist tallied 26 boards (eight offensive) with 10 second-chance points, notched eight points off 10 forced turnovers and converted 21-48 (43.8 percent) field goals, 6-15 (40 percent) 3-pointers and 18-25 (72 percent) free throws.

Eagles 5'11" junior guard Wilson scored a game-high 34 points (13-18 field goals, 3-4 3-pointers and 5-8 free throws) and Rico Quinton, a transfer from NCAA Division I University of Maryland-Baltimore County, registered a game-high two blocks.

The Owls are back at Anderson Arena for a nonconference matchup against McPherson College (2-3) at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Fulton. Before the result was changed to a forfeit, William Woods won 78-69 over the Bulldogs last season in McPherson, Kan.