After a long break away from the hardwood, MUW’s basketball teams leaped back into action over the weekend in winning fashion over Lyon College at Pohl Gym with both squads snapping losing streaks as St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletics Conference play heats up in the new year.
After a back-and-forth affair that produced 13 lead changes and 11 ties, the men’s team rallied from an eight-point deficit in the second half on Saturday to capture a 78-75 victory over the Scots for the team’s third straight conference win.
Joe Haze Austin canned a shot from downtown with 13:12 left to play to spark the comeback and knocked down two free throws to tie the game at 72-72 with 3:05 left to play. Both sides continued to trade buckets down the stretch, and fouls by Lyon set up Tray Huguley and Tyler Shephard at the stripe, both of whom sank two shots each in the final 30 seconds to give the Owls (6-6, 3-1) a victory that vaulted them into second place in the SLIAC.
Shepherd led a trio of double-digit scorers with 24 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Huguley posted 20 points, 11 rebounds and four steals and two blocks, which earned him the honor of the SLIAC’s Player of the Week. Austin finished with 15 points, five assists, four steals and two blocks.
“We were fortunate to pull one out at home this afternoon, which has been beyond kind to us in 2025 and now as we’ve entered 2026,” head coach Dean Burrows said, after improving to 5-0 at home games this season. “(The game) was sloppy for the most part, but at times you saw what I believe are two good teams trading punches in the arena. We focused on doing a better job holding them to ten second-chance points, versus 21 at their place in November. To find a way to stay together and find a way to pull one out against a very good and well coached club – who play so stinking hard and are tough – was a positive thing.”
The victory for the Owls snaps a seven-game losing streak to the Scots that dates all the way back to 2020. Up next, the team will play at Eureka College at 7:30 Thursday in another conference tilt.
MUW women 68, Lyon College 65
Like in the men’s game, The W women’s team battled Lyon College mightily for four quarters trying to find separation in a game that featured 15 lead changes and seven ties before guard Calysia Phillips delivered a clutch 3-pointer and Mia Bowen hit two free throws in the final six seconds to put the Owls on top for good in a 68-65 upset.
The Scots came into the game undefeated through three conference games and sat atop the conference in the No. 1 spot before running into the Owls (2-10, 1-3), who they defeated earlier in the season, 85-71.
It was just that kind of night for Bowen, who led the game with 32 points and 15 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. The Arkansas-Little Rock transfer, who is third in the NCAA Division III for blocks, also had two swats on the night in an effort that also notched her SLIAC Player of the Week honors.
“This was the biggest win of our season,” head coach Eric Vaughn said. “We finally won a game where we overcame adversity. Phillips is a closer and she loves the big moment. Bowen looked like the best player in the conference today. She had the best game of her career.”
Phillips, who is back from a season-ended knee injury suffered last season, finished with 14 points on four makes from deep to go along with five rebounds, and both Fantasia Williams and Jakayla Smith each contributed seven points.
The win snaps a spree of five straight defeats for the Owls and is the first triumph over Lyon College in program history. Up next the team will play at Eureka College at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
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