Senior guard Pharroh Gordon put on a show for the ages on Thursday evening as he scored an NCAA-era record 45 points to help the William Jewell men's basketball team down No. 22 Lewis 96-92, in Romeoville, Illinois. The win snaps a three-game skid and moves the Cardinals to 9-11 overall and 3-5 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• First Half: The Cardinals came out hot, jumping out to a 19-11 advantage only to see Lewis go on a 19-7 run and take 30-26 lead with just over seven minutes to play in the opening half. The Flyers seemed to be pulling away, expanding their lead to eight with under four to go but Gordon, Nick Bradley, and Byron Harp combined for the next 14 Cardinal points to pull within three at the break. 
• Second Half: The second 20 minutes were as close as they could be as Lewis' five point lead with under seven minutes remaining was the largest of the half for either team. Tied at 87, Eysan Wiley scored on a feed from Bradley to give Jewell a lead they did not relinquish. Gordon and Wiley combined for seven points over the final four minutes to keep Lewis at bay, while Carter Olsen iced the game with two free throws to make it a two possession game with just two ticks on the clock.  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Cardinals owned the paint, outscoring Lewis 54-28, including 20-6 on fast breaks. 
• Jewell shot 51.5 percent for the game, including 42 percent behind the three point line, while holding the Flyers to 45.5 and 40 percent marks respectively. 

LEADERS OF THE FLIGHT

• Scoring: Gordon (45), Wiley (17), Bradley (13), Harp, (13)
• Rebounding: Gordon (12), Bradley (7)
• Assists: Harp (4)
• Steals: Wiley (2)
• Blocks: Gordon (1), Jackson Golightly (1)

YOU SHOULD NOTE

• Lewis came into the week ranked No. 22 by the Division II Sports Information Directors of America. This is the first win for the Cardinals over a nationally ranked opponent since downing then-No. 2 Drury on February 20, 2014. 
• Gordon's 45-point outburst sets a new NCAA-era record, breaking teammate Byron Harp's mark of 36 set earlier this season. 
• The Cardinals earned their ninth win of the season and scored 96 points despite playing without Keith Hayes' 20.1 points per game. 
• This is the fourth double-double of the season for Gordon and the 19th of Jewell career. 

UP NEXT
The Cardinals look to make it a weekend sweep as they travel to Indianapolis on Saturday for a match up with the Greyhounds. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. CST.