The tables turned Saturday for the men’s basketball team when it dropped its second matchup against Evangel University in Springfield, Mo.
The Wildcats beat the Crusaders earlier in the season in Collins Center.
After playing the Crusaders evenly in the second half, the Wildcats were unable to pull out a win, losing 82-72.
The team was down by 10 at half, and both teams scored 37 points in the second.
“We made sure we came out at the beginning of the second half strong because there have been games when we came out in the second half and we didn’t play well,” junior Malcolm Greer said. “We kept on pushing and didn’t relax at all.”
Senior Bret Shaw recorded a double-double, pulling down 13 boards and putting up 14 points. Greer once again led the team with 18 points.<br/>Shaw said the Wildcats' rebounding helped keep them in the game.Shaw said the Wildcats' rebounding helped keep them in the game.
Shaw said the Wildcats’ rebounding helped keep them in the game.
“We got a lot of offensive rebounds,” Shaw said. “Coach (Rick Weaver) has been trying to get everyone in the act on rebounding and it kept us in the game.”
The Wildcats out-rebounded the Crusaders 42 to 39.
With five players in double figures, senior Nick Iversen, who dropped 11, also dished out five assists.
Although the Crusaders only had three players in double figures, the Wildcats were unable to stop their standout, senior Jackson Capel. In the past four games Capel has recorded 30 points or more and Saturday was no exception when he finished with 36.
He averages 24.8 points a game and is ranked No. 1 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Greer said the team focused more on stopping the rest of the Crusaders rather than completely focusing on Capel.
“We were trying not to let the rest of the team beat us,” Greer said. “We knew he would get his points regardless, so we were more focused on not letting their role players beat us.”
The Wildcats were down on their luck during their Feb. 5 game against Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo.
After going into halftime down 52-34, the Wildcats battled back to outscore the Eagles 35-23 in the second. <br/>It wasn't quite enough, as the team dropped the game 75-69.It wasn't quite enough, as the team dropped the game 75-69.
It wasn’t quite enough, as the team dropped the game 75-69.
Although it wasn’t a win, the Wildcats gave the Heart of America Athletic Conference second-place team a run for its money after losing by 33 points in the first matchup in Collins Center.
“They are just a good team,” Shaw said. “Earlier in the season we lost by 33, so I wouldn’t say this was a bad loss. I thought we played pretty decent.”
Greer and junior Brock Entner both recorded seven rebounds and 18 and 16 points, respectively.
Shaw was once again a presence on the inside battling for nine rebounds and 10 points.
Head coach Rick Weaver said the team worked hard in the second half, but was unable to pull out a win down the stretch.
“Defensively, we did a good job holding Central Methodist to eight field goals in the second half, but we missed a couple scoring opportunities late in the game that could have made things interesting,” he said.
The Wildcats have only five regular season games left, with three of those being at home, and will host Culver-Stockton College at 4 p.m. Saturday in Collins Center.
The team played Avila University Thursday, but results were unavailable at press time.