WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. – The Westminster men's basketball team was defeated by Hanover 91-57 in their first game of the Webster Classic. The Blue Jays fall to 0-4 on the season.
Landon Harrison scored the first basket of the game with a layup. After Harrison's layup, Hanover took a 5-2 lead off a three-pointer and a layup. Emil Spriggs tied the game at 5-5 with a three-pointer. The Panthers hit another three-pointer to go up 8-5 and then a layup by Jaxon Althaus brought the score to 8-7. The Panthers scored the next 11 points to go up 19-7 before a free throw by Steven Brandt and a layup by Steph Campbell cut the lead to 19-10. From that point, the Panthers continued to control the game for the rest of the half and took a 43-26 point lead into halftime. Hanover shot 48.6 percent as a team and 41.2 percent from three-point range compared to Westminster which shot 33.3 percent as a team and from long-range.
The Blue Jays made six of the first seven shots they took in the second half, including three-pointers by Ethan Thompson and Jonathan Geier. However, the Bue Jays could not keep up with the Panthers who shot 66.7 percent from the floor and 85.7 percent from deep in the second half.
Althaus led Westminster with 13 points and five rebounds. He also tied Will Suellentrop for the team lead in blocks with two. Harrison was the only other Westminster to score in double figures with 11 points. Makygh Galbreath led the Blue Jays with three steals and added six points off the bench.
The Blue Jays will face Manchester tomorrow at 1 p.m. on the second day of the Webster Classic.