LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The nationally ranked No. 5 Kentucky Wesleyan College men's basketball team saw its historic 2016-17 season come to an end on Saturday night, falling to Quincy University, 78-75, in the NCAA Midwest Regional Quarterfinal. The Great Midwest Athletic Conference Champion Panthers finish the season at 28-3, with all three losses coming on neutral courts.
Under Head Coach Happy Osborne, the Panthers set a single season record with 26 straight wins, which was the second longest streak across all of the NCAA this season. Kentucky Wesleyan also boasts a 48 home game winning streak which they will look to protect next season.
The Panthers took a quick 4-3 lead just five minutes into the game but the Hawks took over from there. Quincy went on an 18-0 run and held Kentucky Wesleyan scoreless for over six minutes to take a 21-5 lead midway through the first half.
Jordan Jacks fueled a 9-4 run for the Panthers, scoring 7 points on his own to cut the deficit to eight points. Turnovers proved costly for Kentucky Wesleyan in the first half, committing 14 and allowing the Hawks to score 12 additional points. Quincy took a 33-23 lead to the break, outshooting the Panthers 41.7% to 37.5% from field goal range.
Midway through the second half Brandon Hatton put a spark in the Panther offense, coming up with a big block on a Quincy jumper, then draining the ensuing three pointer to pull within seven. Every time Kentucky Wesleyan was within striking distance, the Hawks pulled away again.
With 2:32 remaining, Jacks grabbed a defensive rebound and hustled down the court to score a fast break lay up to cut the deficit to six. Moments later, Adam Stanford drove down the line for a massive dunk to make it a four point game with under two minutes to play.
Ken-Jah Bosley heated up late, notching a trio of three pointers to score the final nine points for the Panthers, and keep the Panthers within two with 13 seconds left. Quincy scored a free throw with 10 seconds left to extend its lead to three. Kentucky Wesleyan had a chance to knot the game with a three-pointer from Bosley in the closing seconds, but a controversial no-call would allow Quincy to hold on for the 78-75 win.
Jacks capped off his Kentucky Wesleyan career with a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds for his team-leading 11th double-double on the season. Fellow senior Bosley scored 16 points while tabbing two steals. Hatton finished with 12 points after shooting two-for-three from beyond the arc, while Adam Stanford scored 10 points. Charles Foster, Malek Harris and Michael Vigilance each scored six points with Foster leading the team with five assists.
The Panthers out rebounded the Hawks 44-30, and held the advantage in second chance points, ten to four. Kentucky Wesleyan also outscored Quincy in the paint, 44 to 24, and on the fast break, eight to four. The Hawks held a slight advantage in field goal percentage, shooting 49.0% to Kentucky Wesleyan's 45.0%.
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