ELSAH, IL – After a long stretch of road games, the Principia Men's Basketball team was very excited for their first home game in 42 days. Coming off of a big comeback victory at Greenville, the Panthers were looking to move to 2-1 in SLIAC play against Westminster College. The Blue Jays also came into the game 1-1 in the SLIAC, but were playing their first road SLIAC game. Early on, it was a close game, but as the first half went along, Principia's defense locked in and allowed the Panthers to take a 14 point lead by halftime. In the second half, Principia would stretch the lead to as many as 19 before coasting to the 68-57 victory.
A quick jump shot by
Payton Sellers and a layup by
Shemarri Miles put Principia up 4-0. Westminster would fight back and take the lead at 12-10, but that would be the last lead that the Blue Jays would have in the game. A balanced attack paced the Panthers in the first half, and
Jaquan Adams led the attack with eight first half points, including a layup at the buzzer to give Principia the 33-19 lead going into the break.
At the half, Westminster made some changes and were able to cut into the Panther lead. With 15 minutes left, the lead was down to eight, but a
Shemarri Miles steal and layup pushed the lead back to double figures, and it would remain in double figures the rest of the game. Back-to-back three pointers by
Payton Sellers and
Jake Kampf pushed the lead up to 19 with 5:05 remaining, essentially ending any chances of a Blue Jay comeback. Principia would go on to win 68-57 to stay a perfect 7-0 this season in Hay Field House.
Good to Know: Principia had a balanced attack with four people in double figures.
Clark Davidson and
Jaquan Adams led the Panthers with 12 points each, while
Shemarri Miles and
Kevin Wingert had 11 and 10 points respectively.
Payton Sellers had a great all around game with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks.
Up Next: Principia plays at home again on Saturday, January 14th at 3:00 pm against two-time defending SLIAC Tournament champions, Blackburn College, as they look to move to 3-1 in SLIAC play and 8-0 at Hay Field House. Come support the Panthers if you are in the area or tune in to the live stream!
