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Two Owls Selected to the All-AMC Team
(FULTON, Mo., March 10)--Two William Woods University men's basketball players were selected to the All-American Midwest Conference team.
Junior Justin Cornelius was selected Honorable Mention All-AMC. Cornelius, a guard from Oak Park, Illinois, led the Owls in scoring. Justin averaged 13.6 points per game for the Owls. He shot 41.8% from the field while pulling down 102 rebounds.
Junior Da'kari Shelby was selected Honorable Mention All-AMC. Shelby, a forward from O'Fallon, Illinois, averaged 10.1 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Owls. Da'kari shot 52.4% from the floor and blocked 25 shots this season.
Eight student-athletes were selected to the AMC Academic All-Conference Team:
Freshman Joe Cisar
Junior Justin Cornelius
Freshman Lucas Dahl
Freshman Justin Gilmore
Freshman Adam Otto
Freshman Caleb Parry
Junior Zach Roling
Freshman Teal Snoddy
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Owls End Season in AMC Tournament
 (SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Mar. 1)--The William Woods University men's basketball team ended their season with a 69-82 loss at the University of Illinois-Springfield in the first round of the American Midwest Conference post-season tournament.
The Prairie Stars outscored the Owls 40-34 in the first half, and 42-35 in the second half. William Woods outrebounded UIS 33-29, but committed 21 turnovers in the loss.
William Woods was led in scoring by Justin Cornelius with 26 points. Dan Anderson added 15 points in the loss. Lucas Dahl finished with nine points and nine rebounds for WWU.
William Woods end their inaugural season with an 8-20 record.
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Owls Top Williams Baptist
 (FULTON, Mo., Feb. 25)--The William Woods University men's basketball team ended their first regular season with a victory over visiting Williams Baptist College on Monday night. The Owls defeated the Eagles 92-66. WWU improves to 8-19 overall and 5-9 in the American Midwest Conference.
Da'kari Shelby hit a lay-up from the right block to open the game. William Woods started the game with a 11-5 run. The Owls never trailed in the ballgame. Caleb Parry gave the Owls their largest lead (15 points) with 21 seconds remaining in the half. WWU went into halftime with a 48-35 lead.
Justin Cornelius and Zach Roling each had nine points in the first half. Da'kari Shelby and Lucas Dahl each grabbed five rebounds in the half. The Owls hit 64% (21/33) from the field in the opening half, including 5-for-11 from beyond the three-point line.
The Owls continued to shoot well and clamped down defensively in the second half. The Owls held the Eagles to 36% shooting in the second half. The Owls outscored WBC 44-31 in the second half.
Dan Anderson scored 17 points to lead the Owls. Da'kari Shelby added 12 points in the win. Justin Cornelius and Lucas Dahl added 11 and 10 points respectively. Dahl grabbed nine rebounds in the win.
Williams Baptist was led in scoring by Josh Bateman with 19 points. Steven Dowdie added 16 points and 11 rebounds.
William Woods shot 51% from the field for the game. They also out-rebounded the Eagles 46-39.
Williams Baptist falls to 9-17 overall and 1-13 in the AMC. William Woods improves to 8-19 overall and 5-9 in the AMC. The Owls will travel to the University of Illinois-Springfield on Saturday to open the AMC post-season tournament. A start time has yet to be announced.
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Woods Drops AMC Game at Columbia
 (COLUMBIA, Mo., Feb. 23)--The William Woods University men’s basketball team dropped an American Midwest Conference game at Columbia College on Saturday. The Owls dropped a heart-breaker 64-66.
William Woods trailed 28-36 after one half of play. Both teams shot well in the opening half. The Owls hit 43% (9/21) from the field, including 4-for-10 from beyond the three-point line. Columbia hit 45% of their shots for the half.
It was a tight back-and-fourth game that saw 13 lead changes and eight ties. The Owls took a lead with under a minute to play. Columbia converted on back-to-back possessions to retake the lead. William Woods has one final shot to win or tie but could not convert.
The Owls were led by Zach Roling and Lucas Dahl with 15 points each. Caleb Parry added 11 points in the loss. Roling added nine rebounds for William Woods.
William Woods (7-19, 4-9) will return to action on Monday, February 25th vs Williams Baptist College. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM.
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William Woods Falls at Illinois-Springfield
 (SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Feb. 16)--The William Woods University men’s basketball team had its three-game winning streak snapped at the University of Illinois-Springfield. The Owls lost 62-102. William Woods is now 7-18 overall, and 4-8 in the American Midwest Conference.
The Prairie Stars used pressure and exceptional shooting to take a 54-29 lead at the half. UIS shot 53% (21/40) from the field in the first half. They hit nine of 21 three-pointers (43%) as well.
It was more of the same in the second half. William Woods hit 43% from the field, but could not combat the Prairie Stars who hit 59%. UIS outscored WWU 48-33 en route to the win.
William Woods was led in scoring by Justin Cornelius with 12 points. Da’kari Shelby and Caleb Parry added 11 points each in the loss. Cornelius had a team-high five rebounds for the Owls.
The Prairie Stars were led by Jacob Mottleer with 14 points. UIS placed six players in double-figures.
William Woods will return to action on Thursday, February 21st, versus Williams Baptist College.
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Owls Top Hornets
 (FULTON, Mo., Feb. 14)--The William Woods University men’s basketball team defeated visiting Harris-Stowe State University Thursday evening in the Helen Stephens Sports Complex. The Owls defeated the Hornets 72-69.
It was an uphill struggle for the Owls from the start. Harris-Stowe opened the game on a field goal from Robert Boykin; they would not relinquish the lead the rest of the half. The Hornets built an 11-point lead (20-31) on a basket by Brandon Davis with 3:59 remaining in the half. HSSU entered halftime with a 31-23 lead.
William Woods struggled from the field in the first half. The Owls shot 35% (9-for-26) from the field. The Owls also committed nine turnovers. Dan Anderson had eight points to lead the Owls. Lucas Dahl and Justin Gilmore each had four rebounds in the half.
William Woods went on a 13-5 run to start the second half. Da’kari Shelby scored from the right block to tie the game at 36. The remainder of the half was a back-and-forth battle. The Hornets built a seven-point lead with 7:58 remaining, only to see it turn into a five-point deficit four minutes later.
The Owls took the lead for good with 5:51 remaining in the game on a three-point field goal from Justin Cornelius. Harris-Stowe was able to cut the lead to one (70-69) on two free throws from Davis with 14 seconds remaining. Da’kari Shelby was fouled on the in-bound and hit one of two free throws to give WWU a 71-69 lead with 13 seconds remaining.
Harris-Stowe had one last chance to win the game, or send it into overtime. Mack Caldwell took a pass from Boykin and drove the lane for a potential game-tying field goal. Da’kari Shelby blocked the shot, grabbed the rebound, and was fouled with four seconds left. He hit one of two free throws to give the Owls a 72-69 victory.
William Woods was led by Shelby with 17 points and nine rebounds. Zach Roling added 16 points in the victory. The Owls improve to 7-17 overall and 4-7 in the AMC. The win was the third consecutive victory for the Owls.
Harris-Stowe (10-17 and 4-7) was led by Davis with 28 points. Caldwell collected a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The Owls will return to action on Saturday, February 23rd, at the University of Illinois-Springfield.
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Owls Win Second Straight (Feb. 9)
(ST. LOUIS, Mo., Feb. 9)--The William Woods University men's basketball team picked up their second consecutive American Midwest Conference victory at Missouri Baptist University on Saturday. The Owls defeated Missouri Baptist 77-73.
William Woods took a 34-31 lead into the half. They outscored Missouri Baptist 43-42 in the second half to preserve the victory.
William Woods was led in scoring by Dan Anderson with 25 points. Da'kari Shelby added 13 points and nine rebounds in the win. Caleb Parry and Justin Cornelius scored 11 points and 10 points respectively.
Missouri Baptist was led in scoring by Brandon Bishop with 26 points.
William Woods improves to 6-17 overall and 3-7 in the AMC. They will return to action on Thursday, February 14th, at home against Harris-Stowe State University.
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William Woods Picks Up AMC Victory (Feb. 7)
 (FULTON, Mo., Feb. 7)--The William Woods University men's basketball team defeated visiting Hannibal-LaGrange College on Thursday evening to pick up their second American Midwest Conference victory of the season. The Owls defeated the Trojans 75-65.
William Woods went on a 12-2 run over the last three minutes of the first half to take a 10 point lead. The Owls went into the half leading 40-29. Dan Anderson led the Owls through the first 20 minutes of play. Anderson had ten points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field, including 2-for-2 from beyond the three-point line. Lucas Dahl had five rebounds for the Owls in the first half.
William Woods shot the lights out in the first half of play. The Owls were 15-for-26 from the field. They hit seven three-pointers. The Owls also outrebounded the Trojans 16-13.
Naim Benjamin hit a field goal from the corner with 2:30 remaining in the game to bring the Trojans within three points (61-58). After a defensive stop, the Trojans were poised to cut the lead to one when Justin Cornelius blocked Nick Michalas (HLG) as he was going in for a lay-up. Anderson was fouled on the other end for William Woods. He hit both free throws to push the William Woods lead to five, and stop the Trojan run.
William Woods placed five players in double-figures. Anderson had a team high 15 points in the win. Zach Roling dropped in 13 points and four assists for WWU. Da'kari Shelby and Cornelius each had 11 points for the Owls. Lucas Dahl completed the double-figure scoring with a 10-point effort. Dahl, Caleb Parry, and Cornelius each had a team-high six rebounds.
Hannibal-LaGrange (12-12, 4-5) was led in scoring by Benjamin with 17 points.
The Owls (5-17, 2-7) will return to action on Saturday at AMC rival Missouri Baptist University. Tip-off is at 4:00 PM in St. Louis, Missouri.
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Justin Cornelius Named WWU Student-Athlete of the Month for January (Feb. 6th)
 (FULTON, Mo., Feb. 6)--Junior Basketball player Justin Cornelius ( Oak Park, Ill.) has been named the William Woods University Student-Athlete of the month for January. Cornelius a junior college transfer from Illinois Central College led the Owls in scoring for the month averaging 14.7 points per game while shooting 42 percent from behind the arc.
The 6' 4" Guard/ Forward had a game high 24 points to help lead the Owls to their first ever American Midwest Conference win against Missouri Baptist on Jan. 17th. Cornelius not only topped the 20 point mark three times in January but is also one of the Owls top defenders and rebounders.
Cornelius is son of Paul and Donna Cornelius and is majoring in Business Administration.
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Owls Fall Short Against McKendree (Feb. 2nd)
(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 2)--The William Woods University men's basketball team dropped an American Midwest Conference game to visiting McKendree University on Saturday afternoon. The Bearcats of McKendree University improved to 8-0 in the AMC with a 100-89 victory over the Owls.
Both teams shot extremely well in the opening half. McKendree hit 57% of their shot from the field, and the Owls shot 53%. Junior Justin Cornelius hit a three-pointer for the Owls with three seconds left in the half to send both teams into intermission tied at 45. Cornelius scored 13 points in the half to lead the Owls.
The two teams continued the hot shooting in the second half. The Bearcats took the lead with 13:49 remaining in the game on a lay-up from Brad Copelin. That began a 13-0 run for McKendree. Lucas Dahl cut the lead to five points (82-87) with 3:56 remaining. McKendree answered with five straight points to end the William Woods rally.
Eric Palm scored 37 points for McKendree. He was 9 for 15 from the field and 13 of 15 from the foul line. T.J. Stoce added 17 points and seven rebounds in the win.
Justin Cornelius scored 27 points in the loss for the Owls. Cornelius was 9 of 14 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free throw line. Da'kari Shelby and Lucas Dahl added 14 points each.
McKendree shot 57% from the field for the game. William Woods shot 52% from the field in the loss. William Woods outrebounded the Bearcats 37-25.
The Owls will return to action on Thursday, February 7th. They will host AMC rival Hannibal-LaGrange College at 7:00 PM.
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Woods Falls To Columbia (Jan. 31)
 (FULTON, Mo., Jan. 31)--The William Woods University men's basketball team dropped an American Midwest Conference game to visiting Columbia College Thursday night in the Helen Stephens Sports Complex. The Owls lost to the Cougars 67-78.
The Cougars took an early seven point lead on a Trae Hall field goal with 13 minutes remaining in the first half. The Owls then went on a 13-2 run, capped off by a three-pointer from Freshman Lucas Dahl. Columbia answered with a 10-2 run of their own. Hall scored on a back-door lay-up to give the Cougars a 27-23 lead with four minutes remaining. The Cougars extended their lead to 10 points on a Brett Hoskins bucket, and went into halftime with a 37-27 lead.
The Owls shot 43% from the field, but committed eight turnovers to only three for the Cougars. Da'kari Shelby led the way for the Owls in the first half with seven points. Shelby and Zach Roling each had four rebounds in the half.
Columbia increased their lead to as many as 18 points in the second half. Hall hit a jumper from the left wing to give the Cougars a 53-35 lead with a little over 15 minutes remaining in the game. William Woods went on a 9-0 run over the next two minutes to cut the lead to nine. Dahl got the crowd back into the ballgame with a dunk of a Hall turnover. Shelby then hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to single figures.
With seven minutes remaining, Dahl hit a field goal and cut the lead to six (55-61). However, the Owls could get no closer. The Cougars would hit their free throws down the stretch and won 78-67.
William Woods (4-16, 1-6 AMC) was led by Dahl with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Shelby added 14 points and seven rebounds for William Woods. Zach Rolling completed the double-figure scoring with 13 points in the loss.
Columbia (17-6, 5-2 AMC) was led by Hall with 21 points. Joe Flanner also had 19 points in the win.
William Woods will return to action on Saturday, February 2nd, at home, versus McKendree University (7-0 in the AMC).
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Owls Fall at Williams Baptist College (Jan. 26)
 (WALNUT RIDGE, Ark., Jan. 26)--The William Woods University men's basketball team dropped an American Midwest Conference match-up at William Baptist College on Saturday. The Owls lost 89-94 and fall to 4-15 overall and 1-5 in the AMC.
Williams Baptist held a three-point lead going into halftime. Both teams shot well from the field in the opening half. The Owls shot 55% and the Eagles shot 49%.
Hot shooting continued for both teams in the second half. William Woods hit 47% of their shots while Williams Baptist hit 49%.
William Woods was led in scoring by Justin Cornelius. Justin scored 23 points on 8 of 12 shooting for the game. He was 7 of 9 from three-point range. Josh Van Gundy and Da'kari Shelby each scored 13 points in the loss. Shelby and Caleb Parry each had a team-high seven rebounds.
Williams Baptist (9-9, 1-5) was led in scoring by Jeremy Hansen with 29 points. Jermaine Templeton collected a game-high nine rebounds.
William Woods will return to action on Thursday, January 31st versus Columbia College. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM in the Helen Stephens Sports Complex.
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Prairie Stars Top Owls (Jan. 24)
 (FULTON, Mo., Jan. 24)--The William Woods University men's basketball team dropped an American Midwest Conference game to visiting University of Illinois-Springfield 72-91 Thursday night in the Helen Stephens Sports Complex.
The Prairie Stars took the lead three minutes into the game and never relinquished it. Toward the end of the first half, UI-Springfield went on a 23-7 run over a six minute period. Ralph Woodson hit a lay-up to give UIS a 39-22 lead and give the Prairie Stars their largest lead of the half (17 points). The Owls went into halftime trailing 35-50. Dan Anderson led William Woods with six points in the first half.
The Prairie Stars shot 50% in the second half en route to the victory. The Owls could never reduce the UIS lead to single figures. Carl Hayes scored all 12 of his points in the second half for UI-Springfield.
William Woods was led in scoring Dan Anderson with 12 points. Lucas Dahl added 11 point for WWU. Dahl pulled down a team-high seven rebounds in the loss.
The University of Illinois-Springfield (13-8, 3-2 (AMC)) was led in scoring by Ralph Woods with 23 points. The 6'7" Woodson was 11 for 12 from the field and 1 for 3 free throw line. Carl Hayes had a game-high 12 rebounds for the Prairie Stars.
William Woods (4-14, 1-4 (AMC)) will return to action on Saturday, January 26th at AMC opponent Williams Baptist College. Tip-off is at 4:00 PM. The Owls will return to the Helen Stephens Sports Complex on Thursday, January 31st against AMC rival Columbia College.
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William Woods Falls to Harris-Stowe (Jan. 19)
 (ST. LOUIS, Mo., Jan. 19)--The William Woods University men's basketball team dropped an American Midwest Conference game at Harris-Stowe State University on Saturday. The Owls lost 70-82 and fell to 4-13 overall, and 1-3 in the AMC.
Da'Kari Shelby and Justin Cornelius lead the Owls in scoring with 13 points apiece. Zach Roling added 12 points in the loss. Shelby completed a double-double by pulling down 10 rebounds for the Owls.
Mack Caldwell led the Hornets (7-12, 2-2) with 24 points. He also had 10 rebounds in the win.
William Woods outrebounded Harris-Stowe 39-30. However, the Owls committed 21 turnovers to the Hornets seven.
William Woods will return to action on Thursday, January 24th, at home versus the University of Illinois-Springfield.
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Owls Defeat Spartans (Jan. 17)
 (FULTON, Mo., Jan. 17)--The William Woods University men's basketball team defeated visiting Missouri Baptist University on Thursday evening in the Helen Stephens Sports Complex. The Owls defeated the Spartans 88-70 in an American Midwest Conference match-up.
Freshman Dan Anderson scored 11 of his 18 points in the first half. Anderson shot 4 of 8 from the field, including 3 of 7 from behind the three-point line. William Woods trailed 4 to 5 three minutes into the first half. They did not trail again the rest of the evening. The Owls built a ten point lead twice, and entered halftime leading 37-30.
Junior Justin Cornelius helped lead the Owls to victory in the second half. Cornelius poured in 19 points in the half on 5 of 9 shooting from the field, and 6 of 6 shooting from the line. Cornelius would end the night with a game-high 24 points.
William Woods shot 50% (26-52) from field for the game. They also hit 41% (10-24) from beyond the three-point line. The Owls forced 16 turnovers and outrebounded the Spartans 40-33.
Missouri Baptist falls to 3-16 overall and 1-2 in the AMC. They were led in scoring by Bret Wilson with 14 points. Dane Rawlins pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.
Lucas Dahl and Zach Roling rounded out the double-digit scoring with 14 points each. Dahl picked up a double-double by grabbing 11 rebounds in the win.
William Woods improves to 4-12 overall and 1-2 in the AMC. They will return to action on Saturday, January 19th, at Harris-Stowe State University.
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Woods Falls at Hannibal-LaGrange (Jan. 12)
 (HANNIBAL, Mo., Jan. 12)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost at American Midwest Conference rival Hannibal-LaGrange College 56-88. The loss takes the Owls to 3-12 overall, and 0-2 in the AMC.
Freshman Lucas Dahl led the Owls in scoring with 12 points. Da'kari Shelby added 10 points in the loss. Justin Gilmore had a team-high six rebounds in the loss.
Hannibal stormed out to a 48-18 halftime lead and never looked back. The Trojans shot 52% from the field for the game, including 11-24 (46%) from beyond the three-point arc.
William Woods will return to action on Thursday, January 17th. The Owls will host Missouri Baptist University in an AMC match-up. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM in the Helen Stephens Sports Complex.
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Owls Drop AMC Opener (Jan. 10)
(Lebanon, Ill., Jan. 10th)--The William Woods University men's basketball team opened American Midwest Conference play with a 63-78 defeat at the hands of #18 McKendree University.
William Woods jumped out to a 36-28 halftime lead in Lebanon, Illinois. The Owls shot 46% from the field while limiting the Bearcats to 28% shooting.
Fortunes would change for WWU in the second half. McKendree outscored William Woods 50-27 to pull away and secure the victory.
Justin Cornelius led the Owls in scoring with 16 points. Justin Gilmore and Lucas Dahl added 11 and 10 points respectively. Cornelius collected a team-high six rebounds.
McKendree improved to 11-5 overall and 1-0 in the AMC. William Woods now sits at 3-11 overall and 0-1 in the AMC.
The Owls will return to action on Saturday, January 12th, at AMC opponent Hannibal-LaGrange College. Tip-off is at 4:00 pm.
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Anderson Named AMC Player of the Week (Jan. 7)
 (LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 7)--Dan Anderson has become the first player in the brief history of the William Woods University men's basketball program to earn American Midwest Conference Player of the Week honors. Anderson captured the Jan. 7 award for his performance in two Owls' contests last week.
Anderson, a 6-3 freshman guard from Jefferson City, Mo., averaged 14 points and two assists in those contests. His best outing came in a 77-61 William Woods victory over the University of St. Mary on Jan. 4. In that contest, Anderson poured in 20 points and dished out three assists.
For the week, Anderson shot 46.7 percent from the field. He made 7-of-12 shots from three-point range (58.3 percent) and was 7-of-8 from the free throw line (87.5 percent). Through 13 games, Anderson is averaging 11 points per game for the Owls and has made a team-leading 35 three-pointers.
The William Woods men's basketball team is competing in its inaugural season in 2007-08. The Owls have a season record of 3-10 and will open their AMC schedule on Jan. 10 at McKendree University.
Release provided by the American Midwest Conference
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Owls Top Preachers (Dec. 8)
(FULTON, Mo., Dec. 8th)--The William Woods University men’s basketball team raised their record to 2-7 with a 97-56 victory over visiting Concordia Seminary on Saturday afternoon in the Helen Stephens Sports Complex.
The Owls and Preachers were tied at 22 with 10 remaining in the first half. The Owls then went on a 10-0 run. William Woods would eventually take a 42-33 lead into halftime.
The Owls had little problem dispensing with the Preachers in the second half. William Woods outscored the Preachers 55-23 en route to the victory.
Justin Cornelius led the Owls with 16 points. Da’kari Shelby and Josh Van Gundy added 14 points apiece in the win. Adam Otto reached double-figures as well for the Owls; Otto scored 12 points in the victory. Justin Gilmore grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for William Woods.
WWU will return to action on December 17th, at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. That game is an exhibition game, and scheduled for 7:00 PM.
Owls Lose at Haskell (Dec. 3)
The William Woods University men's basketball team lost 75-72 at Haskell Indian Nations University on Friday, November 30th. The loss takes the Owls to 1-7 on the season.
William Woods was led in scoring by Dan Anderson with 18 points. Lucas Dahl added 13 points in the loss. Dahl recorded his second consecutive double-double picking up 10 rebounds.
William Woods will return to action on Saturday, December 8th. The Owls will host Concordia Seminary at 2:00 PM in the Helen Stephens Sports Complex.
William Woods Falls at Lindenwood (Nov. 27)
(ST. CHARLES, Mo., Nov. 27)--The William Woods men’s basketball team dropped a 71-86 decision at Lindenwood University on Tuesday evening. The loss takes the Owls to 1-6 on the season. The Lions improve to 6-4 on the year.
Lindenwood took a 53-31 lead into halftime. The Lions shot 56% from the field, 57% from beyond the three-point line, and 69% from the free throw line. The Owls shot 43% from the field and 60% from beyond the arc.
The Owls outscored Lindenwood 40-33 in the second half, but were not able to make up the halftime deficit.
Lucas Dahl collected a game-high 23 points. Justin Gilmore and Dan Anderson added 11 and 10 points respectively. Dahl also had a game-high 12 rebounds en route to a double-double.
Earnie Norman scored 21 points for Lindenwood. Taylor Florence grabbed nine rebounds in the win.
William Woods committed 24 turnovers in the loss. Lindenwood committed 13 turnovers in the win. The Owls outrebounded the Lions 36-35.
William Woods will return to action on Friday, November 30th, at Haskell University.
Owls Get Historic Victory (Nov. 20)
(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 20)--The William Woods University men’s basketball team picked up a historic victory on Tuesday evening in the Helen Stephens Sports Complex. The Owls, in their first year of existence, defeated Central Methodist University 79-70. The win takes William Woods to 1-5 on the year.
Two weeks ago, the two teams met in Fayette, Missouri. CMU defeated the Owls 106-65. What a difference a few weeks makes.
CMU (3-4) took a one point lead into the half. Both teams shot well; the Runnin’ Eagles shot 44% from the field, and the Owls shot 52% from the field.
The Owls took the lead halfway through the second half. On three occasions this season William Woods has held a lead late in games. Tonight, the Owls would hold that lead.
William Woods continued their hot shooting in the second half. The Owls shot 53% from the field, 53% from beyond the three-point line, and 65% from the foul line. CMU hit 45% from the field, 30% from beyond the arc, and 40% from the line.
William Woods outrebounded Central Methodist 36-34.
The Owls were led in scoring by Zach Roling with 16 points. William Woods put four more players in double figures: Dan Anderson - 15 points, Justin Cornelius - 13 points, Da’kari Shelby - 12 points, and Caleb Parry - 11 points. Shelby grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
Central Methodist was led in scoring by Matt Sherman with 17 points. Anthony Love added 10 points in the loss. Love grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
The Owls will return to action on November 27th at Lindenwood University. The Lions defeated the Owls 72-63 on November 13th.
William Woods Falls at Avila University (Nov. 17)
(KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 17)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost at Avila University 93-85 on Saturday afternoon in Kansas City, Missouri. The Owls drop to 0-5 with the loss.
The Owls held a second half lead, but could not hold off Avila down the stretch.
William Woods was led in scoring by Dan Anderson with 25 points. Zach Roling added 14 points in the loss. Justin Cornelius and Da'kari Shelby also reached double figures for WWU with 13 and 12 points respectively. Shelby grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
Avila (2-2) was led in scoring by Eric Arnold with 25 points. Alex Marler pulled down eight rebounds in the win.
"I was very pleased with our overall effort," said Coach Drew Grzella. "Late in the second half we had a lead, similar to our game with Lindenwood, and unfortunately we could not close the game. I thought we had several guys step up and play well for us."
The Owls will return to action on Tuesday, November 20th. They will host Central Methodist University at 8:00 PM.
Owls Fall to Lindenwood (Nov. 13)
(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 13)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost to visiting Lindenwood University 72-63 in the Helen Stephens Sports Complex on Tuesday evening. The Owls fall to 0-4 on the season.
William Woods took a 39-34 lead into halftime behind a tremendous effort at the offensive end. The Owls were 16 of 25 from the field (64%), and six of 11 (55%) from beyond the three-point-line.
The Owls held that lead until the seven minute mark of the second half. The Lions would not relinquish the lead. William Woods struggled from the field in the second half. The Owls shot 9 of 29 from the field (31%), and one of nine (35%) from the three-point line.
Josh Van Gundy led the Owls with 16 points. Lucas Dahl added 12 points, and Justin Gilmore added 11 points in the loss. Dahl recorded a team-high nine rebounds for William Woods.
William Woods will return to action on Saturday, November 17th, at Avila University. Tip-off is at 3:00 PM.
Owls Fall in Home Opener (Nov. 9)
(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 9)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost its home opener 63-100 to the College of the Ozarks Bobcats on Friday evening. The loss takes the Owls to 0-3 on the season. The Bobcats entered the evening as the 23rd ranked team in the NAIA (Division II). They improved to 3-0 on the year.
The Bobcats shot 55% from the field in the first half, and took a 45-28 lead into halftime. The Owls struggled from the field; only shooting 39%.
The second have saw more hot shooting for the Bobcats. They shot 55% from the field, and 59% from behind the three-point arc. The Owls shot 44% from the field in the second half.
William Woods was led in scoring by Justin Cornelius with 16 points. Da'kari Shelby and Justin Gilmore added eleven points apiece in the loss. Gilmore grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
William Woods will return to action on Tuesday, November 13th, at home, versus Lindenwood University. Tip-off is at 7:30 PM.
Woods Falls to 0-2 (Nov. 6)
(FAYETTE, Mo., Nov. 6)--The William Woods University men's basketball team dropped to 0-2 on the season with a 106-65 loss at Central Methodist University on Tuesday evening.
Central Methodist took a 47-27 lead into halftime and never looked back. The Owls were outscored 59-38 in the second half. The Eagles shot 67% from the field in the second half, and 57% from the field in the game.
William Woods was led in scoring by Justin Gilmore with 15 points. Justin Cornelius added 12 points in the loss. Cornelius had a team-high seven rebounds.
The Owls shot 42% from the field and committed 33 turnovers in the loss. WWU outrebounded CMU 40-38.
William Woods will play their first home game on Friday, November 9th. The Owls will host the College of the Ozarks at 7:00 PM.
Owls Drop Opener (Nov. 3)
(CANTON, Mo., Nov. 3)--The William Woods University men's basketball team dropped their first decision with a 50-62 defeat at Culver-Stockton College on Saturday.
The Owls (0-1) were led in scoring by Justin Cornelius and Josh Van Gundy with 11 points each. Dan Anderson added nine points in the loss. Lucas Dahl recorded nine rebounds for the Owls.
Coy Bainter led all scorers with 12 points in the win for Culver-Stockton (1-1). Chris Booth, Elijah Miller, and TJ Nettles added seven rebounds apiece in the win.
William Woods will return to action on Tuesday at Central Methodist University.
Men`s Basketball Prepares For First Season (Sept. 27)
Men’s basketball practice began this week at William Woods University. At most schools that would not be too noteworthy. Let’s face it, unless Dick Vitale and the ESPN crew show up around midnight to showcase the best dunks and moves on campus, it’s normally not that exciting. When “Big Time Division I U” tips off their version of “Midnight Madness”, the arena will be packed. When first year head coach Drew Grzella introduced his inaugural men’s basketball team to the Helen Stephens Complex hardwood, the only people in attendance were a certified athletic trainer, a manager, and a few kids using the gym balcony to walk to and from class. I have a feeling that’s exactly how Coach Grzella wanted it.
As the Owls begin their historic first season, they will be presented with one challenge after the next. Creating a program, and a team, from scratch is no easy task. The old adage, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” holds true for every profession, especially college athletics. There are thirteen new players who have never played with each other before. They will be led by a coach who is in his first year as a head coach. The Owls will also compete in a conference that had two teams advance to the NAIA National Tournament. Sounds like fun – where do I sign up and when do we get started?
The answer is here, and now.
The Owls will open the 2007-08 season on Saturday, November 3rd, at Culver-Stockton College. Three days later they will travel to Central Methodist University before opening the home portion of their schedule on Friday, November 9th, versus the College of the Ozarks. I imagine the team, the coaching staff, the trainer and manager will walk into the Helen Stephens Complex and find a few more people in it that night. They still won’t find Dick Vitale or Digger Phelps with his forest green or burgundy highlighter, but they will find an excited and energetic student body ready to watch history in the making.
I pretty sure that’s exactly how Coach Grzella wants it.
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