COLUMBUS, Miss. – With just four St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) bouts remaining, The W men's basketball maintained its position in third place in the league, thanks to its 79-71 home win over Eureka College. The Owls (11-10, 7-5 SLIAC) remained just 1 ½ games behind Lyon College for the number two position in the SLIAC post-season tournament.
 
MUW is now 7-1 in the friendly confines of Pohl Gym this season.
 
Sophomore Joe Haze Austin continued to make his case as the best SLIAC sixth-man, as he led all scorers with 22 points off the bench. Austin was an efficient 8-of-11 from the floor, including tying the school game record with six baskets made from three-point range. He also made a pair of steals against the Red Devils.
 
Fellow sophomore Tray Huguley started slow with just four first-half points, but heated up in the second, to finish with 21 points. Huguley also had a game-high 12 rebounds to add to his on-going MUW season record for double-double games, with his 13th. Huguley posted two blocks and three assists versus EC, as well.
 
Huguley extended his string of double-figure scoring to all 19 games played this season. He has 12 games with 20-plus points scored.
 
Trent Walker added 12 points, nine rebounds, and five assists to The W's totals. Devin McClaine was the Owls' fourth double figure scorer, with 10 points, to go along with six rebounds.
 
MUW won the battle of the boards by a 39-to-22 count, including limiting the Red Devils to just three offensive caroms. The Owls had 15 offensive rebounds, resulting in a 15-3 advantage in second-chance points and a 36-18 margin for points in the paint. MUW also did a nice job taking care of the ball, committing just nine turnovers, its fifth game of then year in single digit miscues.
 
The Owls led the game for nearly 34 minutes of playing time. After a back and forth first half with eight lead changes and three ties, The W took the control for good on a JHA jumper that made it 30-28 with 2:39 left in the first half and propelled the hosts to a 38-34 halftime cushion.
 
A Huguley layup at 4:24 in the second half gave MUW its largest lead of the day, 12 points, at 68-56.
 
The W returns to action on Saturday, February 14 (3 p.m.) at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois.