FULTON, Mo. - Westminster men's basketball earned a 90-69 victory over St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponent MacMurray thanks to a strong shooting performance.
The Blue Jays improve to 7-8 overall and 6-2 in the SLIAC. The Blue Jays honored Romo Tabb prior to the game for hitting the 1,000 point milestone Jan. 8 at Principia.
In the opening four minutes of play, the Highlanders managed to stay in the game with the Blue Jays, remaining tied at eight points apiece at the 15:57 mark.
Romo Tabb scored in the next two possessions, but MacMurray answered with baskets of their own to keep the game tied 14-14 with a Highlander basket eight minutes into the half. Westminster then went on an 8-0 run over the next four minutes of play to take a 22-14 lead. The Highlanders came storming back to come within two points of the lead with five minutes to play in the half. With just over three minutes to play, Kobe Wands hit back-to-back three-pointers to give the Blue Jays a six-point lead.
The Highlanders continued to make shots down the stretch, pulling back within four points of the lead with one minute to play, but Kobe Wands knocked down four more points along with a layup from Collin Caywood and freethrows from Romo Tabb to solidify the first double-digit lead of the game going into the half, 43-33.
The Blue Jays started the second half where they left off, opening on a 6-0 run with baskets from Caywood, Stu Hollandsworth, and Carter Wands to extend the lead to 16. The Highlanders answered with a 9-0 run to pull back within seven points, but Westminster answered with a 15-0 run which included eight points from K. Wands and back-to-back-to-back three-pointers from K. Wands and Steven Brandt to end the run at 64-42.
Westminster was able to hold the 20-point lead throughout the next 10 minutes, but MacMurray made a small run at the end of the half, coming back within 13 points with just under three minutes to play in the game. A three-pointer from Stone Osterman and a basket from Levi Woods ended the game with Westminster on top 90-69.
Kobe Wands led all scorers with 22 points, going 8-10 from the field and 4-5 from behind the arc. Romo Tabb (14), Carter Wands (11) and Collin Caywood (10) each were in double figures for Westminster.
"Our veterans played well tonight," said Westminster Head Coach Mitchell. "MacMurray is a young team and our defensive intensity wore them down." The Blue Jays forced 20 turnovers.
"We have a lot of games coming up so it was good that our older guys didn't have to log heavy minutes," added Mitchell.
Westminster continues SLIAC play Saturday, traveling to Iowa Wesleyan for a 3 p.m. tipoff.
