EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - For the second time in five days, Lewis proved to be too much to handle for the Truman State University men's basketball team. Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the 2019 GLVC Tournament, the 15th-ranked ranked and top-seeded Flyers took over early and didn't look back. Lewis led by 14, 41-27, at the half and pushed its advantage to as many as 23, 62-39, in the second en route to the 17-point defeat, 72-55.

Truman's season comes to a close with an overall record of 14-15 while Lewis improves to 24-4 and will take on fifth-seeded Drury on Saturday in the semifinals with the tip set for 12 p.m. The loss ends the Bulldogs' five-season streak for for overall records of .500 or better, the last being a 10-17 finish in 2012-13, the final season of Truman's MIAA membership.

Playing in his final game for Truman, Nathan Messer (pictured) scored a team-high 12 points on four three-pointers while Brodric Thomas added 11 (just 4-of-13 from the field) and Hunter Strait was one away from his Division II high of 11 off the bench. GLVC Freshman of the Year, Cade McKnight, was held to just five points with foul trouble, Turner Scott managed only two points, and fifth starter, Taurin Hughes, didn't find the scoring column. Joining Messer for their final outing as Bulldogs were Hughes, Jacob Socha (3-for-3 3FG) and Nikola Pesic (three points, one rebound).

Lewis shot 48.5 percent (32-of-66) from the field to Truman's 38.5 percent (20-for-52) and outscored the Bulldogs in the paint handily, 32-12. Co-GLVC First Team honorees, Delaney Blaylock (game-high 17 points) and Kendale McCollum (16) paced the Flyers. Those two were joined in double-figures by Donovan Oliver's 15 points and Anthony D'Avanzo's 12.

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