OWENSBORO, KY - One would be hard pressed to find a team as hot as the Panthers right now. The Kentucky Wesleyan Men's Basketball team is currently riding a five-game winning streak, and have now moved into first place in the G-MAC with a massive 86-50 win over previous conference number one (RV) Cedarville. The Panthers held the Yellow Jackets to just 4-27 from behind the arc, easily their worst output from three this season. 

Originally picked to finish eighth in the G-MAC, Head Coach Drew Cooper now has put the Panthers in a prime position to get a high seed in the G-MAC tournament. This is the latest the Panthers have been No. 1 in the conference standings since the 2016-17 season. 

With the win, Wesleyan improves to 16-6 (10-4 G-MAC), while Cedarville falls to 16-8 (10-4 G-MAC). 

After a few back-and-forth buckets early, the Panthers let the floodgates open. Up 5-4, Logan McIntire hit two threes, including one plus the foul, and Edward Jones Jr. nearly brought the rim down with a powerful dunk, giving Wesleyan a 14-7 advantage. The Panthers didn't stop there, as five more points from Jones Jr. and a layup from Alex Gray made it a 21-8 Panther lead with 12:18 remaining in the first half. Cedarville cut the lead to 10 a few minutes later, but McIntire struck again, nailing a three to silence the Yellow Jacket bench. There was nothing stopping the Panthers near the end of the half, as they closed on a 17-2 run, putting the home side up 45-19 at the break.

Wesleyan dominated on the boards in the first half, hauling down 28 total rebounds, including 13 on the offensive end. They would finish with a season-high 57 rebounds in the game. 

Cedarville cut the Panther lead to 22 early in the second half before layups by Kennedy Miles and Fernandez put any thought of a comeback away. There was no chance for the Yellow Jackets to gain any momentum, as almost every time they scored, a different Panther would answer with a bucket of their own. Nine different Panthers scored in the second half, and the lead eventually ballooned to 40 after a NaVuan Peterson layup with 3:21 remaining in the game. A few late buckets by both teams led to a 36-point win for the Panthers. 

Wesleyan shot 35-74 (47.3%) from the field and 9-26 (34.6%) from behind the arc. Cedarville on the other hand shot 19-64 (29.7%) from the floor and just 4-27 (14.8%) from three. The Panthers doubled up the Yellow Jackets in points-in-the-paint, winning that category 40-20. 

Logan McIntire led the way with 19 points on 7-12 from the field. Borja Fernandez (16), Edward Jones Jr. (13), and Kaeveon Mitchell (10) joined McIntire in double-figures. Kennedy Miles nearly notched a triple double in the game, finishing with nine points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Not to be outdone, the X-factor, Alex Gray, finished with nine points, seven rebounds (two offensive), a steal and an assist. 

The Panthers still have plenty of work to do, as their schedule continues to toughen up toward the end of the season. Next Thursday they travel to Nashville to take on the Trevecca Nazarene Trojans, who are a top team in the G-MAC and despite some late losses are an extremely dangerous team. Their next home game will be next Saturday when Wesleyan hosts the Thomas More Saints at 2:15 p.m. CT. 

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