Blue Jays Winning Streak Snapped With Loss To MacMurray
Jacksonville, Ill. –
The Westminster men’s basketball team’s six game winning streak was snapped Saturday afternoon with a 85-72 loss to MacMurray College. The Westminster Blue Jays are now 14-9 overall and 11-5 in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC). Despite the loss, the Blue Jays still hold fourth place.
A back-and-forth battle left the game with three ties just three minutes into the game. The Highlanders held the lead and with 10:43 left in the first half, they pulled a seven point lead, 24-17. Sophomore Mik Ebert hit a jumper followed by a three-pointer to cut the deficit. A pair of good free throws by junior Verdis Lee Jr. tied up the game and took the 25-24 lead.
The lead teetered between the teams twice more before the Highlanders struck a 7-0 run to take the lead. They held the lead, but in the final three and a half minutes, Lee Jr. and senior Jordan Jones took over. Two three-pointers from Lee, a jumper by Jones and a pair of free throws from each gave the Blue Jays the 46-44 lead heading into halftime.
The second half started similar to the first, with five lead changes in the first three minutes. The Blue Jay’s final lead ended when the Highlanders hit a 10-0 run. The Blue Jay’s deficit reached 15 points with 6:17 left in the game, but they answered back with a 7-0 run to bring them within 8 points. The Blue Jays were unable to stop the Highlanders, ended their six game winning streak with the 85-72 loss.
The Blue Jays shot 44.4 percent from the field. Senior Joe James and Lee Jr. led the Blue Jays with 15 points apiece. James went 6-for-13 from the field, and Lee Jr. went 5-for-5 from the foul line and had 5 rebounds. Junior Brandon Moore pulled down 5 rebounds and finished the night with 6 assists.
The Blue Jays host Webster University on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. This is their final conference home game, so the Blue Jays will be honoring the four seniors for Senior Night.
The Westminster Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be hosting a canned food drive throughout the games, so make sure to bring some cans and help us “can” hunger!
