Heading into Saturday's match-up between the Westminster Blue Jays and the Iowa Wesleyan Tigers, there was a three-way tie for first place in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) that included the two teams. The Blue Jays lost to the Tigers on Saturday, 76-72, knocking them out of the first place slot. The Blue Jays are now tied for third place with Webster and Greenville with a 7-5 conference record, and Iowa Wesleyan and MacMurray remain tied for first place. The Blue Jays hold a 7-11 record for the season.
The Blue Jays started the game with a 9-2 run, but the Tigers brought the game within three with 14:15 on the clock. The Blue Jays pulled up by six, but the Tigers chipped away to bring the game within one, 14-13, with 12:47 to play. The Tigers came within one again, but the Blue Jays managed to take a six-point lead with an 8-3 run. Two free throws by sophomore Romo Tabb brought the score to 31-23. The Tigers worked their way back into the game, and with 2:18 on the clock, they knotted the game at 35-35. They took their first lead of the game with 1:15 on the clock, but 10 seconds later senior Matt Murphy made a jump shot to take back the lead. Sophomore Nick Carlos added another basket to take a 39-36 lead, but the Tigers made the final points of the half to send the game into the second half with the Blue Jays leading by one, 39-38.
The lead changed four times in the first four minutes of the second half, but the Blue Jays scored on two possessions without allowing the Tigers to score to take a 50-45 lead. Four minutes later the Tigers tied the game at 55-55, but with 9:44 on the clock freshman Collin Caywood sunk two free throws to take back the lead, 57-55. The Blue Jays committed two consecutive fouls with under six minutes to play, giving the Tigers four free points from the foul line. Sophomore Tanner Cochran went 2-for-2 from the foul line and made a jump shot to take back the lead with just over four minutes on the clock. After tying the game up, the Tigers went on a 6-0 run to take a four-point lead with 33 seconds to play. A foul by the Tigers with 12 seconds to play sent sophomore Jimmy Villalobos to the line, and he sunk both, bringing the Blue Jays within two, 74-72. The Blue Jays fouled to stop the clock, but the Tigers made both free throws to go up by four, 76-72. The Blue Jays attempted a three-pointer at the buzzer, but missed, ending the game with a 76-72 loss.
Cochran led the floor with 16 points and went 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Carlos and Tabb each added 13 points after shooting 50 percent from the field (5-for-10). Tabb pulled down seven boards and freshman Carter Wands dished in five assists.
The Blue Jays host Fontbonne University on Wednesday, February 3, as they host their Coaches vs. Cancer game. Tip-off is at 8:00 pm. T-shirts and "in support of" cards will be sold at the game with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.
