Box Score

ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T rebounded from a ragged start Tuesday night to record its first victory of the 2011 season, downing William Woods 79-62 at Billy Key Court as four players scored in double figures.

The Miners found themselves in a position early in the game that they encountered in each of their previous four contests of the season – a double-digit deficit -- as the Owls raced out to an 11-0 lead to begin the evening.  But starting with a three-point play from Eli Steinbeck (Hermann, Mo./Hermann), the Miners scored 13 of the next 15 points and tied the game on Bryce Foster (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central)'s steal and dunk at the 15:11 mark.

William Woods scored the next five points to take the lead back, but the Miners answered with a 9-0 run to take the lead for the first time.  Tommy Pelczynski (Nashville, Ill./Nashville)'s three-pointer with exactly 11 minutes to go gave S&T a 19-18 advantage.

After the Owls took their last lead of the game on a three-pointer at the 8:05 mark by Jonathon Nutt – one of eight made by William Woods in the first 20 minutes – the Miners regained the lead for good on a put-back by Bryce Foster (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) on their next trip down the floor.

S&T finished the first half by outscoring the Owls 9-3 to take a 40-32 lead to the locker room.

The Miners pushed the lead into double figures early in the second half, then used some solid shooting of their own to extend the lead midway through the period.

Leading 53-42 with 12:53 to play, S&T ran off 10 of the next 12 points over a span of three minutes to take its largest lead of the game of 19 points on a lay-in by Curtis Okafor (Kansas City, Mo./Bishop Miege) and eventually built the lead to as much as 22 later in the second half.

S&T shot 57.1 percent in the second half from the floor and made four-of-seven from three-point range after a first half when they connected on only 34.1 percent.  The Miners also made a season-high 12 shots from long range and outrebounded the Owls 43-42.

Pelcyznski led all scorers in the game with 20 points, while Foster finished with 13.  S&T also got 11 points from Filmore Bouldes (Romulus, Mich./Romulus) and a career-high 10 from Okafor, who added seven rebounds and a blocked shot in 18 minutes of play.

William Woods made eight-of-14 from beyond the arc in the first half, but made only one-of-nine after the break.  The Owls shot 36.2 percent for the game and were led by Nutt with 16 points.

The Miners, now 1-4 on the season, will return to action Monday with a 7 p.m. game against Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, Mo.