Box Score HANNIBAL, Mo. - Recording a game-high 20 efficiency rating (points + rebounds + assists + steals + blocks - missed field goals - missed free throws - turnovers), No. 14 William Woods University's (22-2, 14-1 American Midwest Conference) Mr. Efficient, Francis Okwuosah guided the Owls to a 75-61 victory over Hannibal-LaGrange University (10-11, 7-7), their 17th straight win Saturday at Mabee Sports Complex.

"We had to really grind that one out," William Woods men's basketball coach Jordan Ashton said. "Credit to Hannibal, they showed up ready to go and outworked us in the first half. It was a tough week for us with three games this week, all on the road, but we can't let that happen."

Okwuosah achieved his 20 efficiency, five above the average rating, with a game-high 18 points (6-8 field goals, 4-4 free throws and two 3-pointers), five boards and one steal. Fellow Iowa Wesleyan University transfer Henry Shannon III was another Woods starter who shined, posting 14 points (8-9 free throws and 3-5 field goals), five rebounds, two assists and one steal.

As they have in many games this season, the Owls showcased their depth. Their bench scored 32 points, 11 more than the Trojans' rotation. Two WWU players stepped off their seats and reached double figures in points: Aaiden Ashton with 14 points (5-8 field goals, 2-4 free throws and 2-3 3-pointers) and four boards, and Nate Schwartze with 13 points (6-10 field goals and 1-2 free throws), three rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Shannon scored on the game's first possession, going 2-2 at the free-throw line. Just over two minutes later, HLGU tied it at 2 on Joe McBride's layup, though Okwuosah answered on the Owls' ensuing drive by splashing in a 3-pointer to put them ahead by three. WWU stayed in front for a few minutes until Malaki Munoz capped a 7-2 Trojans run to give HLGU a 9-7 advantage. 

Ashton called timeout with 15:01 left in the first half, and then Kevin Taylor put the Owls on top, 12-9, after going up for a block, pulling down a defensive rebound and launching a 3-pointer into the hoop. That was early in an 11-2 WWU run; Okwuosah concluded it and increased the Owls' lead to 18-10 by hitting a layup. That forced the Trojans into a timeout with 11:37 before halftime. The timeout paid off for HLGU, using a 14-6 stretch to tie it at 24 on two free throws by Braylon Diggs. Diggs converted two more free throws to even it at 26, but William Woods ended the first half strong with a 9-4 run with five points from Ashton on a 3-pointer and a layup, two from Ty'Shon Pannell on a jumper and two from Jacob LaBounty on a layup.

Holding a 35-30 advantage at halftime, the Owls wanted to stay ahead, but the Trojans made it tough on them to begin the second half. Taking a 9-2 half-opening period, HLGU went on top at 39-37 on McBride's layup with 14:50 remaining. However, WWU got back on track with a game-deciding six-unanswered points in which it took the lead for good at 41-39 on Schwartze's end-to-end layup off his steal and pushed the Trojans into a timeout with 13:28 left. 

Unlike each of their last five games in which they earned an early double-digit lead, the Owls had to work most of the contest to achieve that Saturday. With 3:10 on the clock, Woods got there, and it came thanks to who else but Okwuosah, draining an inside bucket to put it at 64-54 Owls. WWU furthered its cushion to the first of its two game-high 14-point advantages on Shannon's two free throws to make it 71-57 with 1:06 left. The second and final 14-point Owls leading margin (75-61) happened on the game's final points, two D'Mari Wiltz free throws with 21 seconds to go. 

William Woods posted 30 rebounds (eight offensive) with seven second-chance points, tallied 13 points off 11 forced turnovers and shot 51.1% (24-47) from the field, 29.4% (5-17) from 3-point range and 78.6% (22-28) from the free-throw line. Hannibal-LaGrange had 29 boards (14 offensive) with 11 second-chance points, scored 11 points off 13 forced turnovers and converted 37.5% (21-56) field goals, 23.8% (5-21) 3-pointers and 66.7% (14-21 free throws).

William Woods is back home in a week, hosting Crowley's Ridge College (15-9, 9-5 AMC) at 3 p.m. next Saturday at Anderson Arena in Fulton. It'll be the second time the Owls and Pioneers meet in just under two weeks; WWU won its first-ever matchup with CRC 93-64 Monday in Paragould, Arkansas.

"Thankful our guys can now get some much-needed rest, and then we'll get back to it and get ready to go," Ashton said. "Glad to be back at home next weekend, we need to really lock in and keep working to be better."