Fulton, Mo 2/6/2024- The Westminster College men's basketball team took on the Principia College Panthers in a battle of two teams looking to keep their conference tournament hopes alive inside the Historic Gym in Fulton, Missouri. The game would go down to the wire after 34 lead changes and 20 ties. The Panthers came out on top 85-82. Principia improves to 6-16 overall and 5-10 in the SLIAC. Westminster falls to 4-18 on the season and 4-11 in the SLIAC.
The two teams would get off to a slow start, both missing shots on their first two possessions of the game. The Blue Jays would get the ball down low to Ben Eberlin, who scored off a nice dish from Brennan Jeffries to put the Blue Jays on top 2-0. Brysan Jeffries would drive down the lane and get fouled. He would go 1-2 from the free throw line to put Westminster up 3-0. The Panthers would score back-to-back baskets to take their first lead of the game, 4-3. The Blue Jays would tie the game up at 7 after a jump shot from Walker Gohring. The teams would battle for the lead in a very back-and-forth game. Westminster would go on a 4-0 run to go up 30-26. A layup from Brysan Jeffries extended the Blue Jays lead to 39-32, with 1:32 remaining in the half. The Blue Jays would take a 41-36 lead into half time.
Principia started the second half going on a 5-0 run to tie the game 41-41. The see-saw game would continue, with neither team giving an inch. Tied 58-58 with 10 minutes left in the game, freshman Gavin Hendrix put the Blue Jays back on top 60-58. Lee Verslues scored a layup and got fouled. He would make the free throw to put the Blue Jays up 63-58. The Panthers scored 10 unanswered points to go up 68-63. Principia would get their largest lead of the game at 72-65, with 4:05 remaining. The Blue Jays would string together a couple of three pointers to make it 75-71. Brennan Jeffries would get to the free throw line and make it a three-point game after going 1-2 from the line. Principia would score a layup, force a turnover, and then draw a foul to go back on top 78-72 with 2 minutes left. Jack Fessenden would hit a three pointer to make it 78-75. Westminster would call timeout to game plan what to do on the defensive end to try to get a stop. Gavin Hendrix would get a block, but the Panthers would find themselves with the loose ball that turned into a three-point dagger to put them up 81-75 with 1:19 remaining. The Blue Jays would continue to battle but would come up short, falling to the Panthers 85-82.
Freshman Jack Fessenden and Walker Gohring led the Blue Jays on offense. Fessenden had 16 points and 3 rebounds. He went 6-10 from the field, 4-8 from three. Gohring had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. He would go 6-16 from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line. Senior guard Brennan Jeffries had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists. The big man, Ben Eberlin, had 10 points and 7 rebounds. Brysan Jeffries had 9 points and 4 rebounds. Gavin Hendrix had 9 points and 8 rebounds off the bench for the Blue Jays.
Westminster will be back in action on February 10th when they travel to Eureka, Illinois to take on the Eureka College Red Devils. The game is set to begin at 3:00 pm.
