Wayne State College men’s basketball, picked to place 15th out of 16 NSIC teams, started their season this past weekend hoping to defy expectations.

 
The Wildcats were able to play one game close in two seasonal opening losses.

 
WSC rallied from a double digit deficit in the second half against Missouri Western, but could not complete the comeback in their first game of the season last Friday night in St. Joseph.

 
The teams exchanged early leads, until Missouri Western pulled out to a nine-point lead with just under nine minutes to go in the first half. WSC chipped away at the lead pulling as close as 32-31, before the Griffons scored seven straight points to end the half, taking a 39-31 lead into the locker room.

 
The Wildcats came out sluggish, letting the Griffons run out to a 12-point lead. WSC rallied again to get back within two with just over 10 minutes to go in the half. Down 71-61 with five minutes to play, with stingy defense, WSC tied the game at 75 with two minutes to play.

 
A turnover and missed three-point shot in the final minute doomed WSC, and the Griffons won 81-75.

 
Jordon Cornelius led the Wildcats with 16 points.

 
Fourteenth-ranked Northwest Missouri State shot above 50 percent from the field in a one-sided affair against WSC on Saturday.

 
NMSU got out to a hot start, taking an 11-4 lead in just four minutes of play. WSC would get as close as 18-15 with 13 minutes left in the first half. Both times the Wildcats pulled close, the Bearcats went on big runs of 9 and 12. NMSU never gave the Wildcats a chance in the second half, pulling away for the 89-55 victory.

 
Joel Heesch led the Wildcats in scoring with 13 followed closing by Matt Thomas with 10.

 
Wayne State will host Iowa Wesleyan on Friday evening at 7 p.m. in the home opener in Rice Auditorium.