WINFIELD, KS —  

In a heavyweight KCAC matchup that lived up to its billing, the OKWU Eagles came up just short on the road Wednesday night, falling 83-80 to a hot-shooting Southwestern squad. The loss moves OKWU to 20-3 (15-2 KCAC) on the season.  

The Eagles and Moundbuilders were locked in a 44-44 tie at halftime, with both sides shooting over 50% from the field and combining for 26 first-half three-pointers. OKWU opened the second half strong and built multiple two-possession leads, but Southwestern surged late, going 16-for-29 from three for the game to outlast the Eagles.  

Temaje Izuagbe led Oklahoma Wesleyan with 16 points, adding six rebounds, two steals, and a block while hitting a pair of threes. Nick Bene continued his reliable production off the bench, pouring in 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting along with five assists. Ethan Williams and Humberto Kentish Jr. each added 11 points, with Kentish going a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor.  

The Eagles scored 44 points in the paint and found contributions across the rotation, including seven points from freshman guard Isaac Stanek and eight from Yashi McKenzie, who hit a key second-half three to keep OKWU in front. OKWU also tallied 20 points off turnovers and 34 bench points, but Southwestern's perimeter shooting proved the difference.  

Despite a late layup by Izuagbe giving OKWU an 80-79 lead with 42 seconds left, Southwestern closed the game on a 4-0 run and held off a final three-point attempt at the buzzer. 

The Eagles return home this weekend looking to bounce back and continue their strong conference campaign. They will face off against Sterling on February 7th at 3:00 PM. Go Eagles!