FULTON, Mo. - William Woods University (5-6, 3-2 American Midwest Conference) knew it would have adversity to handle with (RV) Columbia College (9-0, 5-0), and the Owls didn't let it get to them as they only trailed by seven points after three quarters. However, Woods didn't contain the Cougars' offense in the fourth quarter, ultimately falling 69-49.
With the Owls using a seven-player rotation and Columbia nine, William Woods matched the Cougars with three players scoring in double figures. Doing that for the Owls were
Jersee Wren with a team-high 16 points (6-7 free throws),
Sydney Booker with 14 (7-13 field goals) and
Peyton Dearing with 12 (2-5 3-pointers).
The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair with WWU taking three leads, the first on a Booker layup that made it 2-0, the second on an
India Atkins inside basket provided by Booker that put it at 6-5 and the third on a Wren jumper that put the Owls ahead 8-7 with 2:59 left in the first quarter.
Unfortunately for William Woods, it was the last time it held the advantage. The Cougars took the lead for good when Lexi Miller drained a 3-pointer assisted by Abby Backes to give Columbia a 10-8 lead with 2:30 remaining in the first quarter. It remained close, with the Owls bringing it to a one-point game (12-11) on Dearing's triple off a Booker assist with 1:02 left in the first quarter.
Allowing Columbia to take an eight-point (19-11) cushion early in the second quarter, William Woods climbed back within, and it was the same two Owls combining for the hoop that got them there that did late in the first quarter. With 4:15 before halftime, Dearing took a Booker pass and got her layup to fall, making it 19-15 Cougars. After a dry spell for both teams, Columbia went on an 8-0 run to go up by 12 points for the first of two times in the first half at 27-15 with 1:43 left. From there, WWU tacked on seven more points before halftime; Booker tallied four and Wren three, with the former's jumper concluding the first-half offense and making it a nine-point (31-22) Owls deficit.
In the third quarter, the Cougars dominated early, but William Woods didn't go down without a fight in the quarter's final minutes. With Columbia up 46-33, the Owls finished the third quarter by posting six unanswered points; Wren had four on two free throws and a jumper, and Booker two on a jumper. The reigning AMC Defensive Player of the Week's field goal capped the third-quarter display with William Woods down by seven points at 46-39.
The Owls couldn't keep up with the Cougars quite like they did in the first three quarters, getting outscored 23-10 in the fourth quarter.
For the game, William Woods collected 31 rebounds (six offensive) with six second-chance points, scored eight points off 10 forced turnovers and went 20-58 (34.5 percent) from the field, 3-18 (16.7 percent) from 3-point range and 6-9 (66.7 percent) from the free-throw line. Columbia posted 46 boards (12 offensive) with 12 second-chance points, tallied 15 points off eight forced turnovers and converted 25-61 (41 percent) field goals, 9-25 (36 percent) 3-pointers and 10-12 (83.3 percent) free throws.
The Owls wrap up their three-game homestand against Hannibal-LaGrange University (3-8, 0-5 AMC) at 1 p.m. Saturday. It'll be a matchup between the AMC Defensive Player of the Week, WWU's Booker, and Offensive Player of the Week, HLGU's Ivy Lesley.Â
