OWENSBORO, Ky. ------ The Auburn Montgomery men's basketball dropped a 77-74 road decision to Kentucky Wesleyan Thursday evening.

NOTES
• With the loss, the Warhawks fell to 4-14 overall on the year.
• The Panthers improved to 13-2 on the year.
• Kentucky Wesleyan has now won 38 consecutive games at home and 11 in a row this season.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Darrion Taylor led the Warhawks with 19 points, finishing 7-of-10 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from distance. He added three assists, two steals and a rebound in 40 minutes.
• Desmond DeRamus also finished in double figures for AUM, scoring 16 points, grabbing seven rebounds, tallying five steals and recording four assists.
• Lafayette James-Core scored in double digits for the second consecutive game, posting 15 points. He added six rebounds.
• Kameron Hornbuckle came off the bench and scored eight points, pulled down six rebounds and blocked two shots.
• Jarett Croff also scored eight points and had six boards.
• Jordan Jacks finished with a strong double-double of 19 points and 16 rebounds, while adding five assits.
• Ken-Jah Bosley (18) and Malek Harris (11) also scored in double figures.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• In the opening 6:44 of the contest, neither team was able to build more than a two point lead, until a Charles Foster jumper with 13:16 remaining in the quarter gave the Panthers a 16-13 edge.
• After a Kentucky Wesleyan basket upped the deficit to five points, the Warhawks countered with a 10-0 run and took a 23-18 lead on a Croff hoop with 10:16 remaining.
• Following a Panthers' rally, the two sides were tied at 29-29 following a Hornbuckle layup with 6:00 left. The bucket started an 11-0 run by the Warhawks, which was capped by a Taylor trey with 4:10 to play, making the score 38-29.
• Kentucky Wesleyan closed the half with a 10-2 run and trailed 40-39 at the half.
• To open the second half, the game stayed within three points, before the Warhawks turned a 50-49 advantage into a 56-49 lead with six straight points, culminated by a free throw by James-Core with 12:11 to play.
• The Warhawks upped their lead to as many as nine points with 8:51 to play, but found themselves tied at 67-67 with 6:06 remaining.
• Down the stretch, the squads played to a pair of ties and exchanged the lead four times.
• The Warhawks took a 74-73 lead on a trey by Taylor with 2:51 remaining, but Jacks gave the Panthers the lead for good with a hoop with 35 seconds left. Bosley added a pair of late free throws to provide the final margin.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The Warhawks hit 31-of-66 shots from the floor, including 7-of-21 from behind the arc. AUM attempted just eight free throws, making five.
• The Panthers finished 29-of-63 from the field, hitting 5-of-16 from distance. KWC made 14-of-18 free throw attempts.
• The Warhawks committed 16 turnovers, while forcing 15 by the Panthers. Kentucky Wesleyan held a 17-13 edge in points off turnovers.
• KWC held a 42-32 advantage on the boards, including a 13-8 lead on the offensive glass. However, the Warhawks held a 14-13 lead in second-chance points.
• The contest featured eight lead changes and seven ties.
 
UP NEXT
The Warhawks will return to action Saturday, Jan. 14, when they remain on the road and travel to Trevecca Nazarene. The contest is set to tip off at 4 p.m.