POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – The Men's basketball team took the road to the College of the Ozarks (1-2), looking to build off of their weekend success and get back to their winning ways.
William Woods University (2-3) would take the first lead of the game, but get it taken away quickly and not see a lead for the rest of the half. The Bobcats would keep a commanding lead over the Owls for much of the half as the offense could not get their rhythm. Guard
Mark Onyejekwe led the way with 9 points on 4-of-5 shooting, while
Alex Schonhardt added 6 points off the bench, knocking down a pair of three-pointers.
Woods went into halftime facing an 18-point deficit, searching for a spark to ignite their offense.
Coming out of the half, Schonhardt would stay hot, dropping another 12 points to go a perfect 6-6 from beyond the arc. This offensive jolt would be what the Owls needed to turn the game upside down, as they did just that. His shooting fueled a massive second-half surge as the Owls erased the 18-point hole with a 12-0 run to pull within two of the Bobcats.
Isaiah Payne added 9 points and 3 rebounds in the half, keeping the pressure on.
With another three-pointer from Schonhardt, the Owls would come all the way back to take a 74-71 lead. After a quick 3 from the Bobcats, the game was all knotted up.
DeMarco Buchanan would have a key offensive rebound, setting up Onyejekwe for a pull-up jumper that would find the bottom of the net for the walk-off win, 76-74.
The Owls outscore the Bobcats 47-27, with standout performances from Schonhardt, Onyejekwe, and Payne.
William Woods looks to keep the momentum rolling as they return home for their conference opener against
Peru State on Saturday at Anderson Arena. Tip-off is set for
4 p.m.
