The Westmisnter men's basketball team remains undefeated in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) play after Saturday's 94-82 win over Iowa Wesleyan. The Westminster Blue Jays move to 3-0 in conference and are now 3-3 on the season.
The Blue Jays jumped out to a 10-3 lead just 2:19 into the game and a three-pointer by sophomore Tanner Cochran increased the lead to nine points, 15-6. The Iowa Wesleyan Tigers chipped away at the lead and with 11:45 on the clock, they knotted the game at 21-21. They took the lead with 11 minutes to play, but only held it for the next two minutes. A three by freshman Carter Wands brought the lead back to the Blue Jays, 30-28. The Tigers tied the game up twice before striking a 7-0 run to take the 41-34 lead with 5:13 on the clock. They increased their lead to eight, but a 5-0 Blue Jay run cut the lead to three. A three-pointer by junior Jackson Sublette sealed the half with the Tigers leading 49-46.
Two scores by junior Zach Nelson started the second half and gave the Blue Jays the lead. Cochran continued the run with a two and a three-pointer, and the 12-2 run ended with a three from junior Tanner Gentges. With five minutes off the clock, senior Brandon Drum sparked an 11-0 run with two free throws to put the Blue Jays up by 17 with 10:50 remaining in the game. The Tigers answered with an eight-point run to bring the game back within single digits, 72-63. The Tigers were able to bring the game within six points twice with free throws with 5:30 to play, but the Blue Jays managed to stay ahead by at least six. In the final two minutes, Cochran went 6-6 and Drum went 3-4 from the foul line to close out the game with the 94-82 win.
Cochran led the game with 26 points and six assists. He went 8-13 from the field and a perfect 8-8 from the foul line. Drum went 7-9 from the line.
Nelson, sophomore Jimmy Villalobos and senior Matt Murphy each recorded four rebounds.
The Blue Jays take a break from playing until after Christmas. On December 29 at 6:00 pm, they play Oglethorpe in Louisville, Kentucky. On Wednesday, December 30 at 6:00 pm, they play at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.
