Fighting Bees Lose Opener

11/8/05
Box Score
DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The 15th ranked SAU men's basketball team waited seven months for Tuesday night to roll around, since their loss to Southern Oregon in the first round of last year's NAIA Tournament. They may have wanted to wait just one more day, after losing to Olivet Nazarene 83-64 at Lee Lohman Arena.

They started the night off right, scoring the first eight points of the game, but let the Tigers slowly creep back into the game. SAU held the lead the entire half, until a minute and a half remaining when Olivet took a one point lead. They added another free throw just before the buzzer to go into the locker room up by two. Matt Wilke paced the Fighting Bees in the first half, with eight points.

In the second half, Olivet broke the game wide open. making two seperate runs of nine and eleven consecutive points. SAU on the other hand couldn't buy a bucket, shooting 41% from the field in the game, while Olivet hit on 59% of their shots. The Fighting Bees made a couple late three pointers by Ante Juric and Drew Bryant, but it was too little too late, as SAU took it on the chin in their first game of the year.

Senior Ante Juric led the Fighting Bees with 17 points, while also blocking two shots. Andrew Bryant was the only other SAU player in double figures, finishing with ten points, while adding five rebounds. Will Howard dished out five assists in the losing effort.

Olivet Nazarene was led by Travis Meeks, with 20 points and four boards, while Stan Chismark finished with 19 points and ten rebounds. Phil Howell and Zach Johnson also scored in double figures with eleven and ten points, respectively.

The Fighting Bees will try to break into the win column on Friday against Saint Xavier in the SAU Classic. Tip-off is set for 7:30 at Lee Lohman Arena.

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