Panthers adjust to UMSL's tempo - Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

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Missouri-St. Louis wanted its men's basketball matchup with No. 16 Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday to be a low-scoring affair.

But being held to the lowest point total by a Panther opponent since 1963 probably wasn't part of the Tritons' game plan.

KWC capitalized on Missouri-St. Louis' methodical pace and an outstanding defensive effort to post a 66-30 win in the Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup at the Sportscenter.

"Defense was the emphasis in practice, and I'm very happy with the effort," KWC coach Todd Lee said. "All 10 guys came in with the right defensive attitude."

The Tritons were content to work the ball on the perimeter until the shot clock was down to about 10 seconds. With the lane opened by their interior players drawing defenders to the perimeter, they tried to get shots through cuts to the basket and off penetration.

Neither plan worked with any consistency, as the Tritons were held to eight field goals and shot 25.8 percent (8-of-31) from the field. And with them being out of position to rebound, they only managed four offensive boards, which helped KWC win the battle on the glass, 30-19.

"We had to be intense and also be patient," said Lee of the defensive philosophy. "They're trying to shorten the game, and we couldn't get careless and commit fouls and give up baskets. That's why I'm proud of the guys; we stayed after the ball and were pretty intense for 30 seconds every time."

KWC (23-3, 12-2 GLVC) didn't have any of the Tritons' offensive issues. Desmond Stephens' penetration ignited the Panthers in the first half. He consistently broke down perimeter defenders to get in the lane for good looks or draw a double team for a kickout opportunity that led to four of his five assists.

In the second half, the Panthers outmuscled the Tritons (10-13, 4-10). Center Jay Ivey scored 10 of his game-high 13 points, and forward Andre' Wilson finished with eight points, six rebounds and a wealth of hustle plays.

"I was just being active, making the defense work the same as I do," Wilson said.

KWC had good scoring balance. Marico Stinson added 11 points, and Stephens and Kwan Waller each chipped in 10. The Panthers shot 45.5 percent (20-of-44) from the field -- 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from 3-point range. They sizzled from the foul line, hitting 17-of-19 attempts (89.5 percent).

"They mixed up defenses in the second half, and our substitution patterns got messed up because we weren't going up and down the court," said Lee of the challenges his club faced. "Our emphasis on offense was take good shots and not turn the ball over."

KWC committed turnovers on four of its first nine possessions, but settled down to make just seven more the rest of the game.

Missouri-St. Louis' focus on controlling the tempo had it within a 19-14 deficit with 7:42 remaining in the first half. But Chris Williams' 3-pointer ignited a 10-0 run that pushed KWC's lead to 29-14 at intermission.

"I didn't know if they would come out and play or if they would use clock," said Lee of any adjustments he expected the Tritons to make at halftime. "I thought maybe they would come out and play."

Instead, the Tritons stayed with their game plan, and KWC used a 19-6 run midway through the second half to take a commanding 53-26 lead with 6:36 remaining.

"We're where we need to be, but we've got four tough games coming up," said Lee of his team's No. 1 regional ranking with two weeks left in the regular season. "Being in a position to control your own destiny is all you want.

"But we've got a long way to go defensively."

KWC returns to action when Indianapolis visits for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff Thursday.

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