Owensboro, Ky. – The University of Findlay men's basketball team saw a promising start slip away as Kentucky Wesleyan stormed back in the second half to hand the Oilers a 86-73 defeat on Thursday, January 29 at Owensboro Sportscenter. The loss drops Findlay to 13-8 overall and 7-6 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play, while the Panthers improved to 13-8, 7-6 G-MAC.
Findlay came out firing in the first half, building their largest lead at 43-30 with 2:39 remaining before the break. The Oilers shot a blistering 54.1% from the field in the opening 20 minutes and connected on 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. A decisive 12-2 run midway through the first half, punctuated by back-to-back dunks from Mason Brandt and strong interior play from Mekhi Elmore, gave Findlay momentum and control.
However, Kentucky Wesleyan refused to go away quietly. The Panthers chipped away late in the first half, closing the period on a 8-2 spurt to cut the deficit to 45-38 at intermission.
The second half belonged entirely to the home team. Kentucky Wesleyan erupted out of the locker room, quickly erasing Findlay's seven-point halftime advantage. A 15-2 run midway through the second half turned a 58-60 deficit into a commanding 75-65 Panthers lead with 6:02 remaining. Kentucky Wesleyan shot 63.3% from the floor after halftime and knocked down 6-of-12 three-pointers, while Findlay managed just 37.9% shooting in the final 20 minutes.
Senior Mekhi Elmore paced the Oilers with 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and two steals. Sophomore Alex Kendall added nine points and seven boards, while sophomore Steele Meister chipped in eight points off the bench. The Oilers' bench contributed 30 points in the losing effort.
For Kentucky Wesleyan, Jorge Sanchez-Ramos led all scorers with 22 points, adding nine assists in 38 minutes of action.
Findlay finished the game shooting 47.0% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range but struggled at the free-throw line, converting just 3-of-5 attempts. The Panthers dominated the paint with a 42-38 advantage and capitalized on 19 points off turnovers compared to Findlay's 14.
The Oilers look to rebound on the final day of the month, taking on the Cedarville Yellow Jackets on the road on Saturday, January 31. That game tips at 3:15 pm.
