In the lowest point production in over two years, the MUS basketball team could only muster a paltry 25 points as the Harding Lions came to MUS and defeated the Owls 41-25 last Tuesday.
MUS took only 28 shots for the game and shot 35.7% as they didn't hit the 20-point mark until midway through the fourth quarter. The Owls' leading scorer, junior Ryan Baum, did not come close to his 17-point average as he missed some early shots and never got untracked. He went 1-7 for the game and scored only 3 points before drawing a technical foul early in the fourth quarter and sitting for the remainder of the game.
With Baum having a cold night, other players had to step up offensively against the Lions, and none emerged effectively. Both Will Saxton and Webster Cannon tallied 6 points each, but none were significant threats.
The Owls did stay close because of their defense. They held Harding's leading scorer, Trey Williams, to 2-13 shooting and 8 points. But with the inability to score, MUS never made a run as Harding's guards, particularly Jan Williams, controlled the ball, ran their offense, and took disciplined shots in the second half to post the win.
MUS (8-9, 1-1) will try to recover this Friday night as ECS comes to MUS. Tipoff is again set for 7:30PM. The next evening, the Owls will step out of region play for the final time as they travel to the Spartan Palace to battle White Station at 8:00PM in the River City Classic.