POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. - A remarkable season for Warner Pacific basketball ended in the second round of the NAIA Div. II National Tournament with a 79-71 loss to top-ranked Indiana Wesleyan today inside Keeter Gymnasium.

The Basics

• Score: Indiana Wesleyan 79, Warner Pacific 71
• Records: IWU (33-2), WPC (26-8)
• Location: Keeter Gymnasium, Point Lookout, Mo..
• The Short Story: The Knights' run at the NAIA Tourney came to an end after a tough round-two loss to the defending champion Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan. WPC looked to be on the way to an upset win after building a 23-8 lead following a 17-2 run in the first half. The veteran IWU squad clawed their way back however, and trailed just 39-37 after a three-point make at the halftime buzzer. The Knights battled on fiercely, and the game remained in balance for much of the second half until a decisive 12-4 run put the Wildcats in front 71-61 following a basket by Jacob Johnson with 2:20 to go. Key stats that made the difference were a 34-23 edge for the Wildcats on the boards - 10 on the offensive glass, and a 26 to 10 advantage in free throws made. 

How it Happened

• The early 17-2 Warner Pacific run was capped by a three-pointer by Earl Jones at the 11-minute mark of the first half. The deficit was the second largest of the season for Indiana Wesleyan, who trailed Saint Francis by 17 on Jan. 31.
• Still down by 14 with five minutes left in the first half, Indiana Wesleyan began its comeback, outscoring Warner Pacific 18-6 the rest of the way to trail 39-37 at the break after a three-pointer at the horn by Johnson. 
• WP post players Tim Carter and Michael Hall were in foul trouble for much of the game, contributing to the disparity in rebounding and free throw attempts.
• The Knights went toe-to-toe with the Wildcats in the second half and led 53-49 at the 11:56 mark after Carter scored inside. 
• IWU regained the lead and slowly pulled away with a steady trickle of made free throws and stingy defense, eventually building an insurmountable 10-point lead.
• Five Indiana Wesleyan players scored in double figures, led by Johnson and Jonny Marlin who both came off the bench and shared game-high honors with 17 points each. 
• Three players scored 14 points for Warner Pacific - Doug Thomas, Coletun Tarr and Laron Daniels. Both Michael Hall and Jones netted 10 points each. The Knights end the season with a 26-8 record.