The William Jewell men's basketball team battled until the very end but dropped a 71-66 decision at Southwest Baptist to close the 2019-2020 season on Saturday in Bolivar, Mo. The Cardinals finish the year at 10-18 overall, 5-15 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. 

How it Happened 

• The Cardinals started strong, jumping out to a 17-8 lead after a three pointer from Eysan Wiley with under 13 minutes to play in the opening half. Southwest Baptist closed the half on a 24-12 run to hold a 32-29 lead at the break. 
• Late in the second half the Bearcats broke away for a nine point lead with under seven minutes on the clock. From there Jewell followed with 11-3 run to pull within one at 65-64 after two free throws by Kobe McKinley with just 3:17 to play. The Cardinals went cold from the floor over the final three minutes, going 0-8 from the floor as the Bearcats sneaked out the 71-66 win. 

For the Cardinals 

• Wiley led the Cardinals with a game-high 22 points, 12 rebounds, and tied his career high with five blocked shots. Jackson Golightly added 11 points. 
• In his final game in a Cardinal uniform, Nick Bradley added 10 points, four steals, and two assists. 
• Jewell shot just 32% from the floor, with 41 of their 59 shots coming from behind the arc, but were successful on 15-of-20 free throws. 

For the Bearcats

• Joe Miller led four Bearcats in double figures with 15 points while Brady Snith added 14 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. 
• SBU shot 46% from three point land, connecting on 11-of-24. 

Up Next
The Cardinals will lose Bradley and John Ekwomadu at the conclusion of the year but will return starters Wiley, Golightly, Mason Alexander, and Robbie Hanson.