OWENSBORO, KY. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College men's basketball team secured a spot in the Great Midwest Championship Tournament on Saturday with an 82-75 win over Thomas More University. The Panthers' triumph captured the seventh seed and a road trip back to Lake Erie College. Wesleyan played the Strom once earlier this season, an 82-77 loss. 
 
The game teetered back and forth to start and with six minutes left in the opening half the two in-state rivals were knotted at 25. The Panthers won the final minutes of the half to go into the locker-room with a 39-32 lead. The Saints received a heavy dose of Fatih Huyuk in the post as he scored 14 points in the opening half. 
 
The Panthers led by as many as 11 points early in the second half, but Thomas More got back into the contest with a 16-5 run that tied the game at 48 before the 12-minute media timeout. Wesleyan held the lead for the remainder of the game despite some tense moments. 
 
Jorge Sanchez-Ramos buried a three-point basket to give the Panthers a 70-60 lead with 4:38 left in the game. Daviawne Crim hit a three of his own with two minutes left that cut the Panthers lead to 72-66. As the Panthers pushed the lead back up to nine points with LaVonte Harris converting at the charity stripe. However, Daniel Allen converted four-point play with 30 seconds left that brought the game back to one possession, 78-75.
 
The full court pressure was not enough to contain the Panthers as Ke'Andre Jones broke free for a fast-break dunk to give the Panthers an 80-75 lead. The Saints missed their desperation three-point attempts at the end of the game as the Panthers came away with the victory. 
 
Jones finished with 20 points and six rebounds. Huyuk added 18 points and seven rebounds. Sanchez-Ramos had another big game with 15 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Both Harris and Caleb Mackrey added 11 points. 
 
The Panthers will travel to Painesville, Ohio on Tuesday for the quarterfinals of the Great Midwest Conference Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 6PM CT. 
 
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