Owls Add Two Recruits

(FULTON, Mo., June 5) - Head Men's Basketball coach Drew Grzella has announced the signing of Kelsey Bardell and Elliott Black to a William Woods University Letter of Intent to play for the Owls in 2009-10. Bardell comes to William Woods from Waynesville High School in Waynesville, Mo. Black comes to William Woods from Harris-Stowe State University.

Bardell, a 6'4" forward, helped guide Waynesville High to a 21-7 record and a district championship during the 2008-09 season. Bardell, a native of Belgium, enrolled at Waynesville in November.

"Kelsey is a player that flew under a lot of people's radar because of only playing one season of high school basketball here in the US," said Coach Grzella. "He has a great feel for the game, and is a very skilled player that can play any of the guard positions. Even though he has the chance to help us right away, I'm excited to watch his game develop."

Black, a 6'6" forward, averaged 6.7 points per game and grabbed a team-high 136 rebounds his freshman season at American Midwest Conference rival Harris-Stowe State University. Because he is transferring within the AMC, league rules require Black to sit out the next conference season. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.

"I'm happy that Elliott has decided to join our program," said Coach Grzella. "He had a good freshman season for Harris-Stowe, and got a lot of valuable playing experience.  Elliott's willingness to sit out a season to prepare himself says a lot about him as a person and a player.  There's no doubt he will make great strides during his time at William Woods."

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Basketball Adds Another Recruit

(FULTON, Mo., May 11)--Head Men's Basketball coach Drew Grzella has announced the signing of Max Manning to a William Woods University Letter of Intent to play for the Owls in 2009-10. Manning comes to William Woods from Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, Mo.

Manning, a 6’6" forward, helped lead the Bulldogs to a 27-5 record his senior season. Harrisburg ended the 2008-09 campaign as the Class 2 Missouri State Runner-up. Manning averaged 11 points and nine rebounds per game. He was named 1st Team All-Conference and All-District.

“I’m excited about Max’s decision to join our school and program," said Coach Grzella. "He comes from a program with a great basketball tradition, and has worked under a terrific coach in Steve Combs.  There is no doubt his best basketball is still ahead of him, and I can’t wait to watch his progression.”

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Basketball Signs Two

(FULTON, Mo., April 20th)--Head Men's Basketball coach Drew Grzella has announced the signing of Logan Decker and Seth Thomas to a William Woods University Letter of Intent to play for the Owls in 2009-10. Decker comes to William Woods from Blue Eye High School in Blue Eye, Mo. Thomas comes to William Woods from Cuba High School in Cuba, Mo.

Decker, a 6'0" point guard, averaged a team-high 19 points for Blue Eye High School. Decker shot 62% from the field, 42% from beyond the three-point line, and 77% from the foul line. He helped lead the Bulldogs to a Class 3 Final Four appearance. The Bulldogs finished the 2008-09 season 26-5. Decker was named Southwest Central Conference Player of the Year, and named to the MBCA Class 3 All-Star Team. He was also named 2nd Team All-State by the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportcasters.

“Logan is a terrific competitor and has a very good understanding of the game," said Coach Grzella. "He really fits the type of player we are looking for here at William Woods.  I think he has the chance to be a very special player.”

Thomas, 6'4" shooting guard, led Cuba High School in scoring (18.6) and rebounds (8.0). Thomas shot 43% from beyond the three-point line, and 86% from the foul line his senior season. He was named Gasconade Valley Conference Player of the Year. Thomas was also named 2nd Team All-State by the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters. During his junior year at Rolla High School, Thomas was named to the Ozark Conference All-Conference team. Seth is also a high school teammate of current William Woods sophomore Caleb Parry.

“Seth is an excellent shooter and a skilled player," said Coach Grzella. "He has grown up around basketball his entire life and really understands the game.  As he physically matures, he will only get better.”

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Two Owls Named NAIA Scholar-Athletes

(KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 24)--Sophomore Justin Gilmore and senior Zach Roling have been named 2008-09 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes. Gilmore and Roling were two of 198 student-athletes recognized by the NAIA.

In order to be a recipient of the Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete award, one must fulfill these requirements: the recipient must be a junior or above in academic standing; has been in attendance at the nominating institution a minimum of one full year of attendance; has a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) at the time of nomination at the nominating institution; has been certified as eligible.

Roling, a 6'3" guard from Jefferson City, Mo., and Gilmore, a 6'5" forward from Jefferson City, Mo., were also named Academic All-American Midwest Conference.

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Men's Basketball Receives Postseason Awards

(FULTON, Mo., March 11)--The 2008-09 American Midwest Conference postseason awards have been handed out. Junior Jerone Lester has been named to the Honorable Mention All-Conference team. Lester, a 6'4" forward from Chicago, Ill., averaged 10.6 points, and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Five members of the William Woods men's basketball team received Academic All-AMC recognition as well:

Sophomore Dan Anderson (Jefferson City, Mo.)

Senior Justin Cornelius (Oak Park, Ill.)

Sophomore Justin Gilmore (Jefferson City, Mo.)

Junior Jamal Herriott (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.)

Senior Zach Roling (Jefferson City, Mo.)

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Men's Basketball Falls in AMC Tournament
(SPRINGFIELD, Ill., March 5)--The William Woods University men's basketball team ended its 2008-09 season with a loss at the University of Illinois-Springfield on Thursday evening. The Owls lost 61-74 to the Prairie Stars in the quarterfinals of the American Midwest Conference postseason tournament.

The Prairie Stars shot 55% from the field in the opening half. However, the Owls hit 5-of-13 shots from beyond the three-point line to keep the game within three points at halftime. UIS took a 38-35 lead into the half.

UIS outscored the Owls 36-26, and hit 11-of-17 free throws in the second half to secure the victory.

The Owls were led in scoring by junior Jerone Lester with 17 points. Lester also grabbed a team-high six rebounds for the Owls in the loss.

UIS was led in scoring by Richard Oruche with 16 points. Jeremy Winters added 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win for the Prairie Stars.

UIS shot 47% from the field in the win. WWU shot 39% from the floor in the loss. The Prairie Stars (21-8) outrebounded the Owls 50-28.

William Woods ends its second year of existence with a record of 8-21.

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Men's Basketball Opens AMC Tournament
(Fulton, Mo., March 5)--The William Woods University men's basketball team will travel to the University of Illinois-Springfield tonight for the quarterfinal round of the American Midwest Conference postseason tournament.

The Owls and Prairie Stars have played twice this season. UIS defeated WWU 81-67 on January 24th in Springfield, Ill., and 81-53 on February 21st in Fulton, Mo.

The Owls are led in scoring by Jerone Lester and Justin Cornelius with 10.3 points per game. Lester is also averaging 5.3 rebounds per game. Lucas Dahl is averaging 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

William Woods enters tonight's game with a record of 8-20 overall. The Prairie Stars enter the AMC quarterfinals 20-8.

The winner of tonight's game will take on the winner of the Columbia College/Williams Baptist quarterfinal game. The semifinals of the AMC tournament will be on Saturday, March 7th, at the site of the highest seed.

Tournament Bracket

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Men's Basketball Falls to Missouri Baptist
(St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 28)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost at Missouri Baptist University on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans defeated the Owls 53-52.

William Woods took a 31-28 lead heading into the half. The Owls shot 43% in the first half. Missouri Baptist shot 38% through the first 20 minutes.

The Owls could not hold off the Spartans in the second half. Missouri Baptist outscored William Woods 25-21 in the final half to collect the victory.

Junior Jerone Lester led the Owls with 16 points and seven rebounds. Dan Anderson and Connor Carrara scored 11 and 10 points respectively in the loss for WWU.

Brandon Roberson led the Spartans with 20 points. Dane Rawlins added 12 points, and a game-high 13 rebounds in the win for MBU.

William Woods shot 40% from the field in the loss. Missouri Baptist shot 33% from the field in the win. The Spartans outrebounded the Owls 35-31.

Missouri Baptist improves to 12-19 overall, and 7-7 in the American Midwest Conference.

William Woods falls to 8-20 overall, and 4-10 in the AMC. The Owls will return to action on Thursday, March 5th. They will travel to the University of Illinois-Springfield for the opening round of the AMC postseason tournament.

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Men's Basketball Drops AMC Contest

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 26)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost at Hannibal-LaGrange College on Thursday night. The Trojans defeated the Owls 65-54.

Hannibal-LaGrange took a 27-25 lead into halftime. The Trojans hit 42% of their shots in the opening half. The Owls shot 36% from the field in the first 20 minutes.

Hannibal-LaGrange outscored William Woods 38-29 in the final half. Free throws proved to be a critical factor in the second half. The Trojans connected on 14-of-21 (67%) foul shots to secure the win. The Owls made 4-of-15 (27%) down the stretch in the second half.

William Woods was led in scoring by junior Jerone Lester with 14 points. Junior Zach McDearmon added 10 points for the Owls in the loss. Lester added a team-high eight rebounds for WWU.

Hannibal-LaGrange (11-18, 6-7) was led in scoring by Matt Schmechtig with 20 points. Brian Gilbert grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in the win.

William Woods shot 40% from the field in the loss. Hannibal-LaGrange shot 46% from the field in the win. The Trojans outrebounded the Owls 33-32.

William Woods (8-19, 4-9) will return to action on Saturday, February 28th. The Owls will travel to Missouri Baptist University for another American Midwest Conference match-up.

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Men's Basketball Falls on Senior Night

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 21)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost to visiting University of Illinois-Springfield on Saturday night in Anderson Arena. The Owls lost to the Prairie Stars 53-81.

On a night when WWU honored Justin Cornelius and Zach Roling, the Owls could not find an answer for the Prairie Stars. UIS took a 46-31 lead into halftime behind 46% shooting from the field. The Owls shot well from the field as well. William Woods hit 50% from the floor, but took 15 fewer shots than the Prairie Stars.

The Prairie Stars continued its hot shooting in the second half. UIS went 14-of-33 (42%) in the final 20 minutes of play. The Owls shot 30% from the field down the stretch in the loss.

William Woods was led in scoring by sophomore Dan Anderson with eight points. Senior Justin Cornelius and sophomore Lucas Dahl each grabbed a team-high five rebounds.

UI-Springfield was led in scoring by Jeremy Winters with 27 points. Nick Livas and Richard Oruche added 13 and 10 points respectively. Winters and Oruche each tallied a game-high seven rebounds in the win.

The Owls shot 39% from the field in the loss. The Prairie Stars shot 44% from the field in the win. UIS outrebounded WWU 47-38. The Owls committed 17 turnovers to nine for the Prairie Stars.

UIS improves to 18-7 overall, and 8-3 in the American Midwest Conference.

William Woods falls to 8-18 overall, and 4-8 in the AMC. The loss drops William Woods to sixth place in the AMC. The Owls finish the regular season with two AMC road games. The Owls are two games out of fourth place in the AMC. They trail Missouri Baptist University and Hannibal-LaGrange College; its final two opponents.

The fans in Anderson Arena said farewell to two seniors that helped build the William Woods University men's basketball program. The Owls, in their second year of existence, honored Cornelius, Roling, and their families in a ceremony that preceded the game. Cornelius finished the night scoring six points, grabbing five rebounds, dishing out an assist and recording one blocked shot. Roling finished the night scoring three points, collecting three rebounds, dishing two assists and recording two steals.

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Men's Basketball Falls at Columbia

(COLUMBIA, Mo., Feb. 19)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost at #22 Columbia College on Thursday night. The Owls lost 61-58 in the Arena of the Southwell Complex.

Columbia took a nine-point lead heading into halftime. The Cougars outscored the Owls 33-24 in the first 20 minutes of play. The Cougars shot 48% from the field in the opening half. The Owls shot 29% from the field in the first half.

The Owls, and Justin Cornelius, turned on the pressure in the second half. Cornelius scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half. William Woods outscored the Cougars 34-28 in the second half. The Owls battled back from its halftime deficit, and at one point took a two-point lead in the second half. Like the three-pointer at the buzzer by Cornelius, the courageous effort by William Woods would come up a little short.

William Woods was led in scoring by senior Cornelius with 18 points. Connor Carrara added nine points in the loss for WWU. Justin Gilmore added 10 rebounds in the loss for William Woods.

Columbia College (21-7, 8-4) was led in scoring by Christian Lewis with 17 points. Lewis also had a team-high eight rebounds.

CC shot 43% from the field in the win. WWU shot 37% from the field in the loss. Columbia outrebounded William Woods 35-33.

William Woods (8-17, 4-7) will return to action on Saturday, February 21st. The Owls will host the University of Illinois-Springfield in another AMC match-up.

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Men's Basketball Defeats Williams Baptist

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 12)--The William Woods University men's basketball team defeated visiting Williams Baptist College Thursday night in Anderson Arena. The Owls defeated the Eagles 79-55.

The Owls completely dominated the opening half. William Woods exploded for 51 points in the first half. The Owls shot 58%, and held Williams Baptist to 19% shooting, to storm into the half with a 51-15 advantage. Sophomore Lucas Dahl led the Owls in scoring at the half with 11 points. The Owls hit 4-of-9 three-pointers in the opening half of play. WWU dominated the rebound margin. WWU outrebounded WBC 32-9 heading into the locker room.

The Eagles outscored the Owls 40-28 in the second half, but the result was never in question. Junior Michael Mosley scored 11 points in the second half of play for William Woods.

William Woods finished the game shooting 45% from the floor. The Owls held the Eagles to 29% shooting to earn its eighth victory of the year. WWU outrebounded WBC 58-36.

Mosley led the Owls with 13 points. Dahl and junior Connor Carrara added 12 and 10 points respectively. Junior Jerone Lester collected a game-high 12 rebounds in the victory. Sophomore Dan Anderson dished six assists to lead the Owls. All but two Owls scored in the win.

Williams Baptist (6-17, 1-8) was led in scoring by Jordan Wise with 18 points. Joe Case grabbed six rebounds in the loss for WBC.

The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for William Woods. The Owls move into a tie for 5th place in the American Midwest Conference with the win. William Woods is now a half-game behind Missouri Baptist in the standings. WWU improves to 8-15 on the season, and 4-5 in the AMC. William Woods will return to action on Saturday, February 14th. They will travel to Harris-Stowe State University for another AMC match-up.

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Vikings Top Owls

(MARSHALL, Mo., Feb. 9)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost at Missouri Valley College on Monday evening. The Owls lost to the Vikings 57-82.

Missouri Valley took a 34-23 lead into the half. The Vikings shot 42% from the field in the first twenty minutes. The Owls shot 40% from the field in the opening half.

The Vikings extended its lead in the second half. They outscored the Owls 48-34 in the final half.

William Woods was led in scoring by Dan Anderson with 14 points. Michael Mosley and Jerone Lester added 12 points and 11 points respectively. Mosley grabbed a team-high five rebounds in the loss.

Missouri Valley (9-12) was led in scoring by Josh Boswell with 19 points. Roc Rogers added 17 points and 11 rebounds in the win.

William Woods (7-15) will return to action on Thursday, February 12th. The Owls will host Williams Baptist College at 7:30 pm in an American Midwest Conference match-up.

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Men's Basketball Drops AMC Contest

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 5)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost 66-46 to visiting #5 McKendree University in Anderson Arena on Thursday evening.

The Bearcats jumped out to a 13-point lead heading into halftime. McKendree shot 45% from the field, and held the Owls to 22% shooting while taking a 33-20 lead into the half.

The Owls shooting woes continued in the second half. William Woods hit 8-of-25 (32%) shots in the second half, and 1-for-3 from behind the three-point line. McKendree shot 52% and outscored the Owls 33-26 to earn the victory.

William Woods was led in scoring by Jerone Lester with 10 points. Michael Mosley added eight points for the Owls in the loss. Lester collected a team-high seven rebounds.

McKendree (20-4, 8-0) was led in scoring by Eric Palm with 20 points. Ken Detmer added 16 points in the win. Eric Hobbie grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

William Woods shot 26% from the field in the loss. McKendree shot 48% from the field in the win. MU outrebounded WWU 50-30.

The Owls fall to 7-14 overall, and 3-5 in the American Midwest Conference. They will return to action on February 9th. The Owls will travel to Missouri Valley College for a non-conference match-up.

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Men's Basketball Falls to Missouri Baptist

(FULTON, Mo., Jan. 31)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost to visiting Missouri Baptist University 94-75 on Saturday afternoon in Anderson Arena.

Missouri Baptist used hot shooting, and tough defense, on its way to a 48-29 halftime lead. The Spartans hit 56% of its shots, and held William Woods to 39% shooting in the first half.

The Owls scored the first seven points in the second half, and made several runs at the Spartans, but were never able to get the lead below double-digits. Missouri Baptist hit 60% of its second half shots. William Woods hit 56% of its shots in the second half.

William Woods was led in scoring by Dan Anderson with 17 points. Lucas Dahl and Jerone Lester added 15 and 12 points respectively. Dahl grabbed a team-high eight rebounds in the loss.

Missouri Baptist (9-13, 4-3) was led in scoring by Dane Rawlins with 22 points. Brandon Roberson added 19 points, Brett Wilson added 18 points, and James Hicks finished with 11 points to complete the double-figure scoring. Rawlins had a game-high 12 rebounds in the win.

Missouri Baptist shot 58% from the field in the win. William Woods shot 47% from the field in the loss. MBU outrebounded WWU 36-29.

The Owls (7-13, 3-4) will return to action on Thursday, February 5th. They will host McKendree University in another AMC match-up.

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Men's Basketball Drops AMC Contest to Hannibal-LaGrange

(FULTON, Mo., Jan. 29)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost to visiting Hannibal-LaGrange College 75-60 on Thursday evening in Anderson Arena.

The Trojans of Hannibal-LaGrange shot 48% from the floor in the opening half en route to a 36-27 lead. Hannibal-LaGrange hit 7-of-9 free throws in the first half. William Woods shot 41% for the half. The Owls were 3-for-11 from beyond the three point line, and 2-for-2 from the foul line.

William Woods was able to close the gap to four points with eight minutes remaining in the contest. However, the Owls could not inch any closer. Hannibal-LaGrange outscored William Woods 39-33 in the final 20 minutes of play.

William Woods was led in scoring by Lucas Dahl with 14 points. Jerone Lester and Justin Cornelius added 12 and 10 points respectively in the loss. Dahl grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, and dished out five assists for WWU.

Hannibal-LaGrange (7-14, 3-3) was led in scoring by Matt Schmechtig with 26 points. Brian Gilbert added 14 points in the win for the Trojans. Gilbert also collected 13 rebounds in the victory.

Hannibal-LaGrange shot 48% from the floor in the win. They also outrebounded the Owls 45-27. William Woods shot 41% from the floor in the loss.

The Owls (7-12, 3-3) will return to action on Saturday, January 31st. They will host Missouri Baptist University (8-13, 3-3) at 4:00 in Anderson Arena.

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Men's Basketball Falls at UI-Springfield

(SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Jan. 24)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost at the University of Illinois-Springfield 87-61 on Saturday afternoon.

The Prairie Stars led 44-28 at halftime and never looked back. UIS shot 45% from the field, and outrebounded the Owls 55-24 for the game.

William Woods (7-11, 3-2) was led in scoring by Dan Anderson with 17 points. Jerone Lester and Lucas Dahl added 13 and 11 points respectively. Zach Roling grabbed a team-high five rebounds.

UI-Springfield (13-4, 4-1) was led in scoring by Kelvin Johnson with 13 points. Nick Livas added 11 points and 14 rebounds.

The Owls shot 37% from the field for the game. The Owls hit 20% of its shots from behind the three-point line, and 56% of its foul shots.

William Woods will return to action on January 29th. They will host Hannibal-LaGrange College in another AMC match-up.

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Men's Basketball Cruise Past Columbia

(FULTON, Mo., Jan. 22)--The William Woods University men's basketball team improved to 3-1 in the American Midwest Conference with a 77-60 victory over visiting Columbia College on Thursday night in Anderson Arena.

The Owls controlled the opening half of play in front of a packed Anderson Arena. The Owls shot 48% from the field, held Columbia to 39% shooting, and took a 40-29 lead into halftime.

William Woods continued the defensive pressure in the second half. The Owl defense held Columbia to 26% shooting in the final half, and 32% for the game. The Owls hit 48% of their shots in the half, and 48% for the game. William Woods outscored Columbia 37-31 in the final half to cruise to the victory.

Lucas Dahl, the AMC men's basketball player of the week last week, made a strong case for back-to-back honors. Dahl scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Owls. Justin Cornelius added 15 points and five rebounds for William Woods.

Columbia (13-6, 2-3) was led in scoring by Jason Ellis with 19 points. Christian Lewis added 10 points and six rebounds in the loss.

The Owls move into sole possession of second place in the AMC with the victory. McKendree University sits atop the AMC standings with a record of 5-0.

William Woods (7-10, 3-1) will return to action on Saturday, January 24th. They will travel to the University of Illinois-Springfield in another AMC match-up.

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Release Provided by the American Midwest Conference

Lucas Dahl earns Player of the Week Honors

(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 19)--Lucas Dahl from William Woods University has earned American Midwest Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week accolades for the week of Jan. 12-18.

Dahl, a 6-6 sophomore forward from Jefferson City, Mo., produced some big numbers in leading the Owls to a pair of AMC wins last week. In the two contests, Dahl averaged 20.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per outing. He shot 65 percent (13-of-20) from the field, and was 13-of-15 from the free throw line (86.7 percent). Dahl also blocked seven shots and added two assists and two steals.

In an 85-67 win at Williams Baptist College, Dahl registered 21 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. He followed that with 20 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in a 97-79 home victory over Harris-Stowe State University.

For the season, Dahl is averaging 10.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, and is shooting 50.4 percent from the field. The William Woods University Owls are 6-10 overall and 2-1 in AMC play in 2008-09.

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Men’s Basketball Defeats Harris-Stowe

(FULTON, Mo., Jan. 17)--The William Woods University men’s basketball team defeated visiting Harris-Stowe State University 97-79 in Anderson Arena on Saturday afternoon. William Woods improves to 6-10 overall, and 2-1 in the American Midwest Conference.

William Woods took a 12-point lead into the half. The Owls led 48-36 after 20 minutes of basketball. The Owls shot 54% from the field in the opening half. The Hornets shot 47% from the field for the half.

William Woods outscored Harris-Stowe 49-43 in the second half to secure the victory.

William Woods was led in scoring by Dan Anderson with 24 points. Lucas Dahl added 20 points, and a game-high 13 rebounds in the win. Justin Cornelius added 15 points, Jerone Lester added 14 points, and Jamal Herriott added 10 points for the Owls.

Harris-Stowe (4-13, 0-4) was led in scoring by Terry Hollins with 20 points. Stacy Sorell added 19 points, Elliot Black added 12 points, and Brandon Davis added 10 points for the Hornets.

The Owls shot 52% from the field, 59% from behind the three-point line, and 71% from the foul line for the game. Harris-Stowe shot 43% from the field for the contest. The Owls outrebounded the Hornets 45-29.

William Woods will return to action on Thursday, January 22nd. The Owls will host Columbia College in an AMC contest.

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Owls Earn First AMC Victory

(WALNUT RIDGE, Ark., Jan. 15)--The William Woods University men's basketball team earned its first American Midwest Conference victory with an 85-67 victory at Williams Baptist College on Thursday evening.

The Owls were led in scoring by Lucas Dahl with 21 points. The Owls put six players in double-figures (Jamal Herriott - 14, Justin Cornelius - 13, Zach Roling - 13, Dan Anderson - 12, and Justin Gilmore - 11). Dahl also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds in the win.

The Owls shot 53% from the field, and outrebounded Williams Baptist 43-29.

William Woods (5-10, 1-1) will return to action on Saturday, January 17th. They will host Harris-Stowe State University at 4:00 in an AMC match-up.

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Owls Lose AMC Opener

(LEBANON, Ill., Jan 8)--The William Woods men's basketball team lost 69-74 at McKendree University on Thursday evening. It was the American Midwest Conference opener for both teams.

The Owls and Bearcats went into the half tied at 29. The #12 Bearcats outscored the Owls 45-40 in the second half to earn the win.

William Woods was led in scoring by Dan Anderson with 16 points. Justin Cornelius and Jamal Herriott added 15 and 13 points each in the loss. Justin Gilmore grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in the loss for WWU.

McKendree (13-4, 1-0) was led in scoring by Eric Palm and Eric Hobbie with 16 points each.

William Woods shot 43% from the field in the loss. McKendree University shot 38% from the field in the win. The Bearcats outrebounded the Owls 44-36.

William Woods (4-10, 0-1) will return to action on January 15th. They will travel to Williams Baptist University for another AMC match-up.

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Graceland Tops WWU

(COLUMBIA, Mo., Jan. 3)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost to Graceland University in the Columbia College Cougars vs. Cancer Classic on Saturday afternoon. The Owls lost 73-84.

Dan Anderson scored a team-high 19 points in the loss for William Woods. Justin Cornelius added 16 points for WWU. Justin Gilmore and Lucas Dahl each had eight rebounds for the Owls in the loss.

William Woods falls to 4-9 on the season. They will return to action on January 8th. The Owls will open American Midwest Conference play at McKendree University.

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Owls Return to Action

(Columbia, Mo., Jan.2 )--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost to Brescia University in the Columbia College Cougars vs. Cancer Classic on Friday afternoon. The Owls lost 75-59 to the Bearcats. It was the first game for the Owls since leaving campus for Winter Break.

Justin Cornelius scored a team-high 16 points in the loss for the Owls. Dan Anderson and Lucas Dahl added eight points each for William Woods. Logan Ray and Justin Gilmore grabbed seven rebounds in the loss for WWU.

William Woods falls to 4-8 on the season. They will return to action on Saturday, January 3rd. The Owls will play Graceland University in the Cougars vs. Cancer Classic.

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Men's Basketball Falls to Mid-Continent

(FULTON, Mo., Dec. 1)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost 56-68 to visiting Mid-Continent University in Anderson Arena on Monday night.

It was a defensive struggle in the opening half for both teams. The Owls took a 29-23 lead into the half. The Owls shot 28% from the field in the opening half. The Cougars shot 28% from the field for the half. Connor Carrara and Justin Gilmore scored six points each in the first half. Jerone Lester added five rebounds to lead the Owls in the opening half.

The Cougars opened the second half with a 23-5 run to take a 48-34 lead. The Cougars pushed its lead to 20 points on a field goal from TiRon Peoples with 9:43 remaining in the game. William Woods made a run to cut into the Cougars lead. Justin Cornelius hit two free throws with 2:42 remaining to cut the Cougar lead to nine points. Mid-Continent scored the next seven points to put the game away.

Cornelius scored a team-high 12 points in the loss for William Woods. Connor Carrara and Gilmore added 11 and 10 points respectively for the Owls. Cornelius and Gilmore each grabbed a team-high seven rebounds in the loss.

Donovan Willis scored a game-high 18 points in the win for Mid-Continent. Kenny Thomas and Peoples added 16 and 11 points respectively for MCU. Thomas grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for the Cougars in the win.

Mid-Continent shot 41% from the floor in the win. William Woods shot 27% from the floor in the loss. The Cougars outrebounded the Owls 48-39.

Mid-Continent improves to 2-7 on the season. William Woods falls to 4-7 on the year. The Owls will return to action on Wednesday, December 3rd. They will travel to the University of Central Arkansas for an exhibition game.

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Owls Fall at CMU

(FAYETTE, Mo., Nov. 25)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost 69-62 at Central Methodist University on Tuesday evening.

The Owls (4-6) were led in scoring by Justin Cornelius with 19 points. Dan Anderson added 10 points in the loss for WWU. Jerone Lester grabbed a team-high eight rebounds for William Woods.

The Owls will return to action on Monday, December 1st. William Woods will host Mid-Continent University at 7:00 pm, in Anderson Arena.

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Men's Basketball Falls to Avila

(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 22)--The William Woods University men's basketball team lost to visiting Avila University 67-69 Saturday afternoon in Anderson Arena.

The Owls and Eagles went toe-to-toe the entire evening. Alex Marler hit a jumper from the left wing to give the Eagles a three-point lead with 25 seconds remaining in the half. Connor Carrara answered with a field goal from just inside the three-point line at the buzzer. William Woods went to the half trailing 32-33. The Eagles shot 45% from the floor in the opening half. The Owls shot 39% in the first half.

Dan Anderson led the Owls in scoring with eight points in the first half. Adam Short led the Eagles in scoring with 11 points in the half.

The game remained tight in the second half. Cory Prindville gathered a loose ball under the basket, and scored, to give the Eagles a two-point lead with nine seconds remaining. Following a William Woods timeout, Connor Carrara came off a pick and had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer. His shot caromed off the front of the rim and the Eagles escaped Anderson Arena with its third win of the season.

William Woods put five players in double-figures. Justin Cornelius scored a team-high 13 points for William Woods in the loss. Lucas Dahl added 11 points for William Woods. Jerone Lester, Zach Roling, and Dan Anderson scored 10 points each for the Owls in the loss. Justin Gilmore grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in the loss.

Adam Short scored a game-high 14 points in the win for Avila. Jason Haase added 12 points for the Eagles.

William Woods shot 42% from the floor in the loss. Avila shot 42% from the floor in the win. Avila outrebounded William Woods 43-35. AU committed 21 turnovers in the win. WWU committed 18 turnovers in the loss.

William Woods falls to 4-5 on the season. Avila University improves to 3-4 on the season.

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Men's Basketball Rolls Past Principia

(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 20)--The William Woods University men's basketball team defeated visiting Principia College 85-51 Thursday night in Anderson Arena. The Owls improve to 4-4 with the victory.

Principia College took an early 11-8 lead to begin the game. Logan Ray hit a jumper from the right wing to give the Owls a 14-12 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the first half. The Owls would not relinquish the lead the rest of the evening.

William Woods took a 38-21 lead into the half. The Owls shot 46% from the field, and held the Panthers to 26% shooting in the opening half. Jerone Lester led the Owls in scoring with 10 points in the first half.

William Woods pushed the lead to 26 points on a pair of free throws from Justin Gilmore with 16:38 remaining in the second half. Jamal Herriott added a field goal with 57 seconds remaining to give the Owls its biggest lead (34).

Lester scored a game-high 17 points in the win for William Woods. Dan Anderson added 16 points for WWU. Gilmore and Lucas Dahl each grabbed a team-high eight rebounds for the Owls.

Todd Zimmerman scored 16 points and 12 rebounds in the loss for PC. The Panthers fall to 0-1 on the season.

William Woods shot 49% from the field in the win. Principia College shot 32% from the field in the loss. WWU outrebounded PC 45-33.

The Owls will return to action on Saturday, November 22nd. They will host Avila University at 3:00 pm, in Anderson Arena. The game will be made available as an AudioCast.

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Owls Lose at Ozarks

(POINT LOOKOUT, Mo., Nov. 18)--The William Woods University men’s basketball team lost 60-62 at the College of the Ozarks on Tuesday evening. The College of the Ozarks entered the game as the 5th ranked team in the NAIA Division II preseason poll.

The Owls took a 32-30 lead into the half behind strong shooting and solid defense. The Owls shot 46% from the floor while holding the Bobcats to 33% shooting.

The stats were reversed in the second half. COFO outshot WWU 48% to 37% in the second half, and outscored the Owls 32-28.

Zach Roling had a team-high 14 points for William Woods in the loss. Lucas Dahl and Michael Mosley added 12 and 10 points respectively for the Owls. Justin Gilmore collected a game-high eight rebounds in the loss for William Woods.

The Owls won the rebounding battle. William Woods outrebounded College of the Ozarks 42-31. However, the Owls committed 21 turnovers in the loss. The Bobcats committed 14 turnovers in the victory.

The Owls fall to 3-4 on the season. They will return to action on Thursday, November 20th. The Owls will host Principia College at 7:00 pm in Anderson Arena.

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Men's Basketball Defeats USM

(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 14)--The William Woods University men's basketball team defeated visiting University of St. Mary 85-73 Friday evening in Anderson Arena.  

The Owls took a 31-25 lead into halftime behind strong defensive play.  William Woods held USM to 28% shooting for the half.  The Owls shot 39% from the field, and 56% (5/9) from beyond the three-point line.  

The Owls outscored the Spires 54-48 in the second half to secure the win.  The Owls shot 53% from the field in the second half.  

William Woods shot 47% from the field in the win.  USM shot 38% from the field in the loss.  The Owls crushed the Spires on the boards; the Owls outrebounded USM 51-36.  

Lucas Dahl and Dan Anderson each scored 15 points in the win for WWU.  Connor Carrara and Zach Roling added 13 and 11 points respectively in the victory for the Owls.  Dahl recorded a game-high nine rebounds for William Woods.  

William Woods improves to 3-3 on the season.  Following an exhibition game on Saturday, November 15th, at Truman State University, the Owls will return to action on Tuesday, November 18th, at the College of the Ozarks.

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Men’s Basketball Falls to Central Methodist

(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 12)--The William Woods University men’s basketball team lost to visiting Central Methodist University 77-72 on Wednesday night in Anderson Arena.

It was a match-up of two evenly matched teams.  Both teams exchanged leads several times in the opening half.  CMU and WWU went to half tied 32-32.  Central Methodist shot 45% in the opening half.  William Woods shot 47% for the half.

The second half was just as competitive as the first half.  When one team would make a run, the other would answer.  Justin Cornelius tied the game at 56 on a three-pointer from the right wing with 5:20 remaining in the game.  CMU answered with a three-pointer on the next possession to regain the lead for good.  The Eagles would push their lead to 11 with three minutes remaining.  The Owls made a late run, but could not overcome the deficit.

Jeff Blauvelt scored a game-high 26 points in the win for Central Methodist.  Jake Prosser and Brock Edris added 13 and 12 points apiece in the win.  Curtis Smith grabbed a team-high six rebounds for the Eagles.

Justin Cornelius scored a team-high 16 points in the loss for William Woods.  Jerone Lester added 12 points in the loss.  Justin Gilmore, Connor Carrara, and Lucas Dahl each had 10 points for the Owls.  Dahl grabbed a game-high eight rebounds for WWU.

CMU shot 47% from the floor for the game.  WWU shot 48% from the field.  William Woods outrebounded Central Methodist 33-32.

Central Methodist improves to 3-0 on the season.  William Woods falls to 2-3 on the season.  The Owls will return to action on Friday, November 14th.  They will host the University of St. Mary (Kans.) at 7:00 pm.

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Men's Basketball Drops Two in Tournament

(CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Nov. 8)--The William Woods University men's basketball team dropped two games in the Bosch Financial Classic, held on the Campus of Mt. Mercy College.  The Owls lost 91-59 to Bellevue University, and 86-81 to Judson College.  

The Owls fell behind early on Friday evening to Bellevue University.  Bellevue, ranked 23rd in the NAIA Division II preseason poll,shot 67% from the field in the first half to take a 45-29 halftime advantage.   

Jerone Lester scored a team-high 15 points in the loss for William Woods.  Justin Cornelius added 12 points for the Owls.  Jamal Herriott had six points and three rebounds for WWU in the loss.  

The Owls shot 38% from the field in the loss.  Bellevue shot 64% from the field in the win.  BU outrebounded WWU 40-19.  

William Woods had to play from behind again on Saturday afternoon against Judson College.  Judson shot 53% in the first half to take a 48-32 halftime lead.  

The Owls outscored Judson 49-38 in the second half, but it would not be enough.  William Woods put five players in double figures.  Lucas Dahl recorded a team-high 15 points in the loss.  Dahl also had a game-high eight rebounds.  Cornelius and Zach Roling added 13 points each in the loss for the Owls.  Lester and Justin Gilmore added 12 and 10 points respectively for William Woods.  

William Woods falls to 2-2 on the season.  They will return to action on Wednesday, November 12th.  The Owls will host Central Methodist University at 7:00 pm in Anderson Arena.

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Men’s Basketball Defeats Culver-Stockton

(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 3)--The William Woods University men’s basketball team defeated visiting Culver-Stockton College 75-60 in Anderson Arena on Monday night.  The Owls improve to 2-0 on the season with the victory.

William Woods took a 39-29 halftime lead behind exceptional shooting from the field.  The Owls shot 54% from the field, to 41% for Culver-Stockton. 

The Owls outscored the Wildcats 36-31 in the second half to secure the victory.

Jamal Herriott (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.) led the Owls in scoring with 20 points.  Herriott also recorded a game-high six assists.  Caleb Parry (Rolla, Mo.) added 11 points for the Owls.  Justin Gilmore (Jefferson City, Mo.) recorded a double-double for William Woods.  Gilmore had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

William Woods shot 50% from the floor in the win.  Culver-Stockton shot 43% from the floor in the loss.  The Owls outrebounded the Wildcats 40-26.  Culver-Stockton falls to 0-1 on the season. 

The Owls will return to action on November 7th and 8th.  They will compete in the Mount Mercy College Tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  The Owls open the tournament against Bellevue University at 6:00 pm, on Friday.  The time and opponent of the game on Saturday is to be announced.

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Men’s Basketball Wins Season Opener

(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 1)--The William Woods University men’s basketball team defeated visiting Baptist Bible College on Saturday afternoon in Anderson Arena.  The Owls defeated the Patriots 84-50.

The Owls raced out to a 48-18 lead and never looked back.

Justin Cornelius (Oak Park, Ill.) scored a team-high 17 points in the win for William Woods.  Justin Gilmore (Jefferson City, Mo.) and Dan Anderson (Jefferson City, Mo.) added 14 and 11 points each.  Gilmore added 11 rebounds in the victory.

The Owls defense held the Patriots to 20% shooting for the game.  William Woods shot 47% in the victory.  William Woods outrebounded Baptist Bible College 56-43.

BBC falls to 1-1 on the season.  WWU improves to 1-0 on the season.  The Owls will return to action on Monday, November 3rd.  They will host Culver-Stockton College at 7:00 pm.

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Men's Basketball Opens Season November 1st

On November 1st, the William Woods University men's basketball team will host Baptist Bible College at 7:00 pm, in Anderson Arena.

Interview with Coach Drew Grzella:

Schedule Changes:

The men's basketball game on Saturday December 6th has been cancelled.

The men have added a game on Thursday, November 20th. The Owls will host Principia College at 7:00 pm.

Also, the exhibition game at Truman State University has been changed to 3:30 pm.

Thank you for your attention.

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Men's Basketball Pre-Season AMC Poll Released

Release provided by the American Midwest Conference

(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 22)-McKendree University has been installed as the pre-season favorite in the race for the 2008-09 American Midwest Conference men's basketball title. The conference released its pre-season poll on Wednesday.

In a vote conducted by the league's eight men's basketball coaches, McKendree received six first-place votes and 48 total points in the ranking. The Bearcats were 27-7 overall last season and 13-1 in AMC play. McKendree won both the conference's regular-season and tournament championships. The Bearcats earned the conference's automatic bid to the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National championship and entered play as the No. 11 seed. McKendree reached the second round of the tournament for the second straight year.

The Bearcats have four returning starters, including 2007-08 AMC Player of the Year Eric Palm and AMC Freshman of the Year Eric Hobbie. Palm, a senior guard, earned first team NAIA All-America honors by averaging 19.4 points per game. Hobbie, a sophomore forward, contributed 15.2 points and a team-leading 7.8 rebounds per contest. Veteran coach Harry Statham, the AMC Coach of the Year in 2007-08, will enter his 43rd season at the helm of the McKendree program. He is the all-time wins leader in men's college basketball history with 965.

The University of Illinois at Springfield begins its final AMC season ranked second in the pre-season poll with 44 points and two first-place votes. Under the leadership of Kevin Gamble, the Prairie Stars were 22-10 on the year and 11-3 in the AMC a year ago. Illinois-Springfield returns a trio of senior starters in guards Kelvin Johnson (14.9 PPG, 124 assists) and Jacob Motteler (15 PPG, 88% FT) along with forward Ralph Woodson (11.8 PPG, 61% FG). Motteler was the AMC Newcomer of the Year in 2007-08.

Columbia College was picked third in the 2008-09 pre-season rating with 37 points. The Cougars reached the AMC Tournament championship game last season and qualified for the NAIA Division I National Championship as an at-large selection. Seniors Joe Flanner (8.9 PPG) and Christian Lewis (8.5 PPG) are the top returning scorers for head coach Bob Burchard's squad.

William Woods University (25 points) finished just ahead of Missouri Baptist University (24 points) for fourth place in the poll. Hannibal-LaGrange College and Harris-Stowe State University finished in a tie for sixth place in the rating with 19 points each, while Williams Baptist College rounded out the list with eight points.

The 2008-09 AMC schedule will tip off on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009 and runs through Saturday, Feb. 28. The conference's post-season tournament will be conducted March 4, 7 and 10. The AMC Tournament champion will receive the league's automatic bid to the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship, which will be held March 18-24, 2009 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

2008-09 AMC MEN'S BASKETBALL PRE-SEASON POLL

(FIRST-PLACE VOTES IN PARENTHESES)

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Men's Basketball Announces their 2008-2009 Schedule

Head Men's Basketball Coach Drew Grzella has announced the 2008-09 William Woods University Men's Basketball Schedule. The Owls will open its season on November 1st against Baptist Bible College. William Woods will begin its American Midwest Conference schedule on January 8th at McKendree University.

For the complete schedule click HERE.