FULTON, Mo. – On Saturday, Spalding men's basketball went on the road to face SLIAC opponent Westminster. The Golden Eagles defeated the Blue Jays 86-72. 

SU moved to 5-7 (4-2 SLIAC), while Westminster fell to 1-12 (1-5 SLIAC) on the season.

TURNING POINT
To begin the first half, it was a battle between both sides. A three-point basket by Andre Crawford gave Spalding the early lead. The next eight minutes of play was all the Blue Jays. Westminster went on a 21-8 run to gain a double-digit advantage, 21-11. A huge three by Kameron Jones and a layup by Emmanuel Rislin pushed the momentum back to the Golden Eagles. SU went on a 14-4 run to give themselves their first lead since the beginning of the game. Spalding closed out the first half strong, winning 41-36.

After halftime, Caden Bradford drilled an immediate three-pointer to give SU space to breathe. Spalding used their momentum at the end of the first half to keep their comfortable lead for the next seven minutes. A run by the Blue Jays closed the Golden Eagles' lead, 53-52. With eight minutes remaining, Jacoby Johnson received the ball for an isolation. Johnson used a beautiful screen to give himself some separation for a layup. This provided some separation for SU as Spalding went on a 9-1 run, making it 70-61. The Golden Eagles continued to outscore the Blue Jays to win this one, 86-72.

GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES

• Emmanuel Rislin dropped a career-high 20 points on 9/11 shooting. 
• Rislin dropped his first career double-double.
• Spalding shot better from three-pointers, (40% to 27.3%).
• Four Golden Eagles had double-digit points.

NEXT FOR SPALDING
Spalding will host SLIAC opponent Mississippi University for Women on Thursday, January 11th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.