Blue Jays Lose 68-57 In First SLIAC Road Game
Elsah, IL 1/10/2023- The Westminster College men's basketball team traveled to Elsah, Illinois for their first road game of the conference season to take on the Principia College Panthers. The game was back and forth with six lead changes and 4 ties. Ultimately, the Panthers snuffed out two Blue Jays' comeback attempts and won the game 68-57. The Blue Jays fall to 2-12 on the season and 1-2 in the SLIAC. The Panthers improve to 10-4 on year and 2-1 in the SLIAC.
The Panthers started the game 4-0 but Jaxon Althaus (Oak Grove, Mo. / Oak Grove) answered with a three to make it 4-3 in the opening moments of the game. Principia scored four in a row to take an 8-3 lead. Ben Eberlin (Hardin, IL / Calhoun) tied the game 10-10 and Tre Kempker (Eugene, MO/ Eugene) gave the Blue Jays the first lead of the game,12-10, as the Blue Jays were having success pounding the ball inside the paint. Principia would get the lead back and pull away, ending the half on a 13-5 run to take a 33-19 lead at halftime.
Westminster cut into the Panthers' lead in the first 5 minutes of the second half, cutting to eight points. Forcing a Principia timeout, at 37-29 with 15 minutes to play. After the timeout, the Blue Jays committed back-to-back turnovers that started a 10-0 by the Panthers. The Jays called timeout with 12:43 left and down 47-29. The Blue Jays would start another comeback attempt and cut to 11 points with 7:52 remaining after a Kaden Eirhart (Altamont, IL / Altamont) three. The Blue Jays could not get closer than 11 points and the Panthers win the game 68-57.
Eberlin and Kempker led the offense with 19 points each. Eberlin sets a new career high, improving on his career high from the last game. Brennan Jeffries (Jefferson City, Mo. / Jefferson City) had 6 points and a team-high 7 rebounds. Kempker hauled in 6 rebounds and Eberlin grabbed 4 rebounds.
The Blue Jays struggled offensive shooting 35% from the field and 13% from three. They shot 86% from the free-throw line, going 13-15. The Panthers out-rebounded the Blue Jays 44 to 36.
The Blue Jays will be back in action on Saturday, January 14th when they host Webster University. That game will tip off at 3:00 PM.
