The MUS basketball team does not lose often at home. However, last Friday night, a very good Bartlett Panther squad came into the Ross M. Lynn Arena and handled the Owls, defeating them, 55-41, in a non-conference game.
MUS stayed within striking distance most of the game as they switched zone defenses to slow the fast-paced, high-flying Panthers down. Yet Bartlett shot the ball well from the outside, particularly in the first half, as they hit 61.9% from the field as well as 4 of 8 three-pointers in the first stanza to take a 32-21 halftime lead.
Though the Owls were down by 11 at the break, they felt as if the pace was to their liking, and they hoped Bartlett would not shoot as well in the second half.
MUS had several opportunities after the break to get into the ball game, yet every time they tried to make a run, the Panthers made a play. Jaycen Herring led Bartlett with 18 points, while guard Chase Hardin added 15, including shooting 5 of 8 from three-point range. The Panthers also took advantage of 19 MUS turnovers to prevent the Owls from making a run.
Ryan Baum led MUS in scoring with 15 points, while Clay Chapman added 7. The Owls did shoot fairly well from the field, hitting 48.3% for the game, but they only got 29 total shots as they had to work hard against the aggressive Panther man-to-man defense, too few with Bartlett shooting as well as they did.
The loss drops MUS to 10-5 as they prepare for their final non-conference game against Wooddale this Tuesday night. Tipoff for the away contest is set for 7:30 p.m.