A final second basket by sophomore Jimmy Villalobos wins the Westminster men's basketball game over Eureka College on Saturday, 91-90. The win puts the Westminster Blue Jays into a four-way tie for first place in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) with a 9-5 record. Overall, the Blue Jays sit with a 9-12 record.
The Eureka Red Devils took the lead to start the game with a three-pointer, but a three-pointer by freshman Carter Wands and a steal and fast break layup by sophomore Tanner Cochran gave the Blue Jays a 5-3 lead. Eureka grabbed the lead back and held it until a good jumper by senior Matt Murphy put the Blue Jays up by two with 13:12 left in the first half, 13-11. The Blue Jays extended the lead to 11 points with a good three-pointer by sophomore Nick Carlos, 28-17. The Red Devils brought the game within five with 5:18 on the clock, but Wands and Carlos put in buckets to go up by nine, 40-31. A steal and fast break layup by freshman Collin Caywood gave the Blue Jays their largest lead of the game with 2:06 to play, 52-37, and two free throws from Wands sent the Blue Jays into halftime with a 56-41 lead.
The Red Devils outscored the Blue Jays 18-7 in the first five minutes of the second half to bring the game within five, 64-59. The Blue Jays held onto the lead until the Red Devils knotted the game at 70-70 with nine minutes to play. They took a two-point lead, but the Blue Jays tied up the game and took the lead with two free throws from sophomore Romo Tabb. The Red Devils knotted the game four more times and grabbed a one-point lead with 1:48 on the clock, 86-85. A layup by Tabb switched the lead back to the Blue Jays, but a Red Devil three-pointer and free throw put the lead back in the Red Devil's hands.
Wands made a layup with 18 seconds remaining to cut the Blue Jay deficit to one point, but the Blue Jays had to foul to stop the clock. A Carlos' foul sent the Red Devils to the line for one-and-one with 14 seconds to play. The Red Devils missed their free throw and Carlos pulled down the rebound, passing it out to Wands. Wands threw the ball out to Cochran, who dished it in to a wide-open Villalobos under the basket for a two-point bucket down low. The clock sat with .5 on it with the Blue Jays holding a one-point advantage over the Red Devils. The Red Devils made an attempt at a half court three, but missed, ending the game with a 91-90 Blue Jay win.
Carlos led the Blue Jay offense with 25 points after shooting 55 percent from the three-point line (5-for-9). Tabb led the floor with nine boards, including six defensive boards. Nelson and Cochran each finished with four assists.
The Blue Jays travel to Carlinville, Illinois on Wednesday, February 10, for their 15th conference game of the season. Tip-off between the Blue Jays and Blackburn is at 8:00 pm.
