Box Score

Wheeling, W.Va. - Every time the Marauders made a run, the homestanding Wheeling Jesuit Cardinals answered. In the second half alone, Millersville drew within three points 11 times and even took a late lead, but the Cardinals managed to keep the Marauders at bay and deal them a 67-59 defeat Tuesday afternoon at the Alma Grace McDonough Center.

Millersville (5-3) suffered its second straight loss and third in its last five games. Offensive woes continued to haunt the team as it failed to score more than 63 points for the fifth time in six games. The Marauders have scored fewer than 60 points in each of their three losses.

Tuesday's contest was Millersville's first in 15 days and it showed. The Marauders mustered just 20 points and committed 13 turnovers in the first 20 minutes of the game. Still, they trailed by just six at the half.

The Marauders finished shooting 24-for-66 from the field but managed to keep Wheeling Jesuit close, forcing the Cardinals to commit 20 turnovers including nine in the second half.

The Cardinals scored first in the second half, but Millersville answered with a 7-0 run to draw within one. Immediately, however, Steve Catich cashed in a pair of free throws to extend the lead to three and started a trend that would last throughout the game--each time Millersville got close, Jesuit pulled away.

The Marauders drew within one again on the following possession, but Jesuit struck back by building the lead back to seven and eventually nine points with 10:36 remaining.

Nigel Davis, who led the Marauders with 14 points and provided a spark in the first half, did the same in the second. With Jesuit holding its largest advantage of the game, Davis hit a jumper and knocked down 2-of-2 from the line. Mike Seibert drilled two 3-pointers to draw Millersville within one.

The Marauder defense got the stop it needed on the Jesuit's next possession, and Cullen Murray-Kemp knocked down a three from the left wing to cap a 13-2 run and give Millersville its first lead of the second half with 7:46 remaining.

Wheeling Jesuit called timeout and put a quick end to Millersville's run, receiving buckets from Andrew Harris and Catich in the next minute. Seibert hit another triple to momentarily give the Marauders a 52-51 lead, but Millersville hot shooting flamed out as quickly as it started.

The Marauders scored just seven points in the final 6:35, and Jesuit slowly pulled away, hitting seven free throws in the final 28 seconds.

Davis and Alen Ahmetovic were the only two Millersville players to crack double figures. Ahmetovic matched a career high with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting. The pair also led the team with six rebounds.

Four Cardinals scored 11 or more, and Obi Ukwuoma posted a double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds.

Millersville hopes to find a cure to its offensive ills Wednesday at 4 p.m. against West Liberty, which entered the weekend averaging 107 points per game. The action can be heard on MSBN.