MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Hendrix College men's basketball team played hard against one of the nation's best and even held a halftime lead, but ultimately fell to No. 9 Washington University (Mo.) 75-68in the Rhodes College Opening Classic on Sunday afternoon.

Luke Vance led the team in scoring for the second game in a row, earning 17 points on a 6-for-9 performance from the floor, while Jordan Barrett scored 12 points. Alec Conard finished with 10 points coming off of the bench for the Warriors. Gabe Gumm finished with a team-high five assists while Vance and Hank Aldous each crashed the glass to grab seven boards apiece.

Hendrix did well to control the tempo in the first half as they jumped out to an early lead over the ninth-ranked Bears. The team knocked down 50% of their first half field goals, shooting 14-for-28 from the floor and forced eight Wash. U. turnovers while committing just seven. The team took their largest lead of the game, going ahead by 10 midway through the first half. Travis Garrett came off the bench to drill a huge three-pointer with 9:39 left in the half, putting the Warriors ahead 25-15. The Bears came storming back before the half though, ending the frame on a 9-1 run to cut the Warriors' lead to 34-32 going into the halftime break.

In the second half, the Bears' increased the pressure on the defensive end forcing Hendrix into 14 turnovers, twice as many as they had in the first half. Washington turned defense into offense, outscoring the Warriors 43-34 in the second stanza of the game. The Warriors gave up the lead early in the second half, but hung around through the entire frame, never allowing the Bears a lead larger than 10 points.

With 8:52 remaining, the Orange and Black trailed by 58-48 but got back into the game with solid shooting from the free throw line and dominant inside play from Vance. John Ogle and Travis Garrett combined to hit three foul shots to cut the lead, and then Vance went on a 5-0 by himself, making the score 60-56.

With only two minutes left in the game, Gabe Gumm scored his only points of the game, a clutch three-pointer bringing the Warriors to within three. On their ensuing defensive possession, Hendrix got a huge defensive stop, but failed to draw any closer to the Bears in the final minutes. Washington University grinded out the remainder of the clock an dhit their foul shots down the stretch to earn a 75-68 victory. 

After dropping their game to the ninth-ranked Bears, Hendrix falls to 1-1 on the season and will return to action in their home opener on Friday, November 21 when they host LeTourneau.