Blackburn Men's Basketball won a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup against Westminster College on Saturday afternoon. The Beavers won by a final score of 74-69.

Westminster took the lead early, going up by 20 points early in the game. Blackburn responded quickly, going on a 13-0 run to shorten the distance in points to five. Blackburn then maintained a steady trail behind Westminster, and heading into halftime, Westminster led 37-28. Blackburn came out in the second half and progressively closed the gap in points until they took the lead with ten minutes left in the second half. The Beavers never lost the lead after that, with several players draining key shots to secure the win. Westminster and Blackburn were exchanging multiple 3-pointers late in the game, resulting in the score being 72-69 with just 20 seconds left. However, the Beavers sunk two free throws, extending their lead and ultimately securing the win.

Blackburn was led offensively by Chanz Aldridge, Karson Hayes, and Christian Wagner, who each had 18 points. Aldridge was six for nine on 3-pointers, and Wagner was four for nine. Hayes was three for seven on 3-pointers, and six for twelve on field goals. Bryson Kirby also contributed, tallying up nine of his own points. He also led the team in assists with five. Aldridge was able to play a key role in the offense by draining multiple 3-pointers in the first half to reduce the lead that Westminster had established. Wagner was able to help extend Blackburn's lead by hitting key 3-point shots late in the game. Hayes was three for four from the free throw line, with two of his free throws ultimately resulting in the win for the Beavers. The offense started out slow, but was ignited in the second half to grab the lead and victory for Blackburn.

Defensively, the Beavers were led by Bryson Kirby, who racked up seven rebounds, as well as two blocks, and four steals. Nigel Ferrel was also a key aspect in the defense, as he tallied up four rebounds and six steals. David Lopez followed close behind with three steals. The team had a total of 32 rebounds, and 14 steals. the defensive effort late in the game resulted in extra points for the Beavers through fast breaks, leading them to the win.

Westminster was led offensively by Jaxon Althaus, who had 17 points. Following close behind him was Emil Spriggs, who had 14. Landon Harrison tallied up ten points, and Ethan Thompson had 12. Harrison was also the team leader in assists with four. Westminster's early shooting gave them a comfortable lead, however Blackburn was able to overcome the deficit and regain control in the second half. Though several players from Westminster play key roles in the offensive strike early in the game, it was not enough to hold off the Beaver's comeback.

Westminster's defense was led by Jaxon Althaus, who had nine rebounds. Ethan Thompson and Landon Harrison each followed close behind with seven. Although Westminster was able to out rebound Blackburn by a total of 47 to 32, the Blackburn offense proved to be too much, as the Beavers pulled away late in the game with the win.

With this game, the Beavers now move to an overall record of 10-11, and 9-5 in the SLIAC. Their next game will take place on Wednesday, February 12th. The Beavers will travel to MacMurray and look to secure their position in the playoff race. The game will be played at MacMurray College, and will start at 7:30 p.m.