OWENSBORO, Ky. – Kentucky Wesleyan men's basketball (1-0, 0-0 G-MAC) opened the 2026-27 season with a convincing 86-63 victory over Missouri-St. Louis on Monday night at the Owensboro Sportscenter. The Panthers used a strong second-half performance to pull away from the Tritons, scoring 54 points after taking a 32-28 lead into the break.
The Panthers shot 61.4 percent from the field for the game, connecting on 27 of 44 attempts, and knocked down 12 3-pointers. After building a four-point halftime advantage, Kentucky Wesleyan saw Missouri-St. Louis battle back to take a 51-48 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining.
Kentucky Wesleyan responded immediately.
Ke'Andre Jones scored on a layup and converted the ensuing free throw to tie the game at 51.
Jorge Sanchez-Ramos followed with a layup and free throw to put the Panthers back in front, and
Fallou Gueye created another momentum swing with a steal and dunk to extend the lead to 56-51.
Gueye added two free throws to push the advantage to seven, and
Terrence Burri finished a pass from
Logan McIntire with a dunk to make it 62-54. The Panthers continued to build separation from there. Gueye connected from beyond the arc, and McIntire followed with a pair of 3-pointers to stretch the lead to 77-59 with just over four minutes remaining. Gueye added another 3-pointer moments later as Kentucky Wesleyan closed out the season-opening win.
Jones and McIntire led the Panthers with 20 points apiece. Jones finished 7-for-12 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and added seven rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal. McIntire was equally efficient, shooting 7-for-10 from the floor and 6-for-9 from 3-point range.
Sanchez-Ramos contributed 14 points and a game-high five assists, while Gueye and Burri each finished with 13 points. Gueye added four assists, four rebounds and three steals, while Burri recorded five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Kentucky Wesleyan also held a 31-22 advantage on the boards and recorded 17 assists on its 27 made field goals. The Panthers connected on 12 of 20 attempts from 3-point range and went 20-for-27 at the free-throw line.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will head to Lebanon, Illinois, to participate in the GLVC-G-MAC Challenge, hosted by McKendree University, November 13-14. Kentucky Wesleyan will face Lewis (0-0, 0-0 GLVC) on Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT.
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