PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Junior guard Ta'Quan Williams was near-perfect from the floor on Saturday afternoon for Post University Men's Basketball, going 7-for-9 (77.7%) overall while making 2-of-3 shots from long range to lead the Eagles with 17 points. However, a 25-point second-half deficit, which Post got down to 12 points with 3:15 remaining in regulation, would be too much for them to overcome, seeing their two-game winning streak snapped by Jefferson University, 87-74. 

THE BASICS

Post University 74, Jefferson University 87

Post University (3-6, 2-2 CACC)

Jefferson University (6-4, 3-2 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
There would be only two lead changes and two ties in the affair, all of which would come in the first five minutes of action as graduate forward Matt McCool started things off with a layup followed by a three from Williams, his first of two in the game, which gave Post their first lead. Junior guard Jeremiah Dorsey gave Jefferson the lead back moments later with his three in response, as the Eagles would then tie the game at five with 16:41 to go and again at 11 with 15:02 remaining, which would mark the final tie of the afternoon.

Graduate guard Brendan Mykalcio's three, which put the Rams ahead by three, 14-11, with 14:14 left in the first half, sparked an 8-2 stretch, in which he buried two threes for Jefferson en route to what would eventually become a 15-point halftime lead, 47-32. As a team, the Rams shot lights out through the opening 20 minutes of play, going 19-for-28 (67.8%) overall with only 4-of-7 shots coming from beyond the arc (57.1%). In contrast, Post only took one more shot than Jefferson, finishing 13-for-29 (44.8%), but connecting on 4-of-13 (30.7%) shots from three-point land. 

Out of the break, the Jefferson lead would balloon to 21 points on back-to-back threes by the home team, eventually stretching to as many as 25 points with 11:15 left in regulation, before Post would attempt to make a comeback bid, still trailing by 22 points at the 5:31 mark. Graduate forward Gianni Thompson's pair of free throws kicked off a 7-0 run for the Eagles, bringing them to within 15 points, and after two free throws from McCool ended it, freshman guard Harry Scully's layup and a three from Thompson made it a 12-point game, 84-72, with 3:15 left.

The 12-point deficit was the closest Post had been since the 2:01 mark of the first half after a McCool layup made it 42-30, but out of a timeout by the Eagles, senior guard Isaiah Thomas-McClain would connect on a dagger three for the Rams, icing the game for Jefferson, who went on to win, 87-74. Beyond the 19 points from Williams, Scully finished with a career-high 12 points, going 5-for-7 from the floor, while junior forward Deng Akok was the only other Eagle in double digits with 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting.

Led by McCool's 21 points on 9-for-12 shooting, the Rams had five scorers in double digits, including two off the bench in Mykalcio with 12 points and freshman guard Jahmare Memphis' 12 points. Jefferson finished shooting 54.8% overall and 44.4% from three, dishing out 20 assists compared to only 10 for a Post team that outrebounded them 36-29, but were outscored in the paint by a 52-32 margin. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS 

• Relative to the number of attempts, the 77.7% shooting day from Ta'Quan Williams was a career high for him, breaking his previous career-best of 75% back on January 9th, 2024, against Felician University on the road, when he shot 75%, going 6-for-8 overall
• Zion Lott's three-game double-digit point streak came to an end as the junior was held to just five points on 2-for-7 shooting in the loss -- Lott has reached double-digit points in seven of nine games this season for Post University 
• Matt McCool led all scorers with 21 points for Jefferson, turning in a 75% shooting afternoon in which he went 9-for-12 overall from the floor
• At halftime this season, Post University is a perfect 3-0 when leading at halftime, while being 0-5 when trailing and 0-1 when tied 

WHO'S NEXT
In their final home game of 2025, Post University will face off against Bentley University at 3:00 PM on Tuesday in the Drubner Center. After dropping the first seven all-time matches against the Falcons, the Eagles have won each of the last two meetings, both at home and on the road. Last season, Post came out on top in double overtime against Bentley, 91-86.