The William Jewell men's basketball team mounted a second half rally but it fell just short dropping a 92-81 decision to Tarleton State on Sunday afternoon in St. Joseph, Missouri in the final game of the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- First Half: The Cardinals came out of the gates fast as a steal by Nick Bradley ended in a slam on the other end by Eysan Wiley put Jewell on top by four early. The Texans outscored the Cardinals 32-16 over the next 13 minutes to take a 39-27 lead. A three from Mason Alexander followed by two free throws by Byron Harp closed the gap to eight, 46-38, at the end of the half.
- Second Half: Jewell again came out quickly, pulling within three after two free shots from Wiley but Tarleton followed with a 26-8 run to expand their lead to a game-high 21 with under six minutes to play. The Cardinals brought out the full court pressure in the finale minutes that led to six TarletonState turnovers and seven Jewell points to help the Cards get back within striking distance. The Texans connected on nine-of-ten free throws over the final three minutes to hold off the Jewell rally.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Cardinals connected on just 39 percent of shots from the floor and 28 percent from behind the three point line while Tarleton State hit 54 percent from the field.
- Jewell forced the Texans into 16 turnovers while committing just eight.
- Tarleton State won the battle in the paint, outscoring the Cards 46-20 and out-rebounding 40-22.
LEADERS OF THE FLIGHT
YOU SHOULD NOTE
- The seven steals from Bradley and 20 points by Minnifield are both career highs.
UP NEXT
Jewell opens the home portion of the schedule next weekend as they host the second edition of the GLVC-GLIACChallenge and welcome Davenport University to the MabeeCenter on Friday evening and Purdue Northwest on Saturday afternoon.
