PITTSBURG — Josiah Gustafson and Javis Flynn combined for 53 points and the Pittsburg State University men's basketball team reached the century mark. The Gorillas, making their home debut Thursday (Nov. 19), needed all 100 points to hold on for a three-point win, 100-97, over William Jewell College.

The Cardinals (1-1) made 17 3-point field goals in the contest, converting 70.8 percent of their shots from distance (17 of 24), but WJC came up empty in its final two attempts to allow the Gorillas (2-1) to claim the hard-fought win.

Lamine Dieng's inside basket with 57 seconds to play gave Pitt State a 97-95 edge. The Cardinals' Easton Koch missed a guarded 3-pointer with 24 seconds remaining and Chris Owens made one of two free throws for the Gorillas to extend the margin to 98-95.

Darius Tomlin kissed home a driving layup high off the glass with 5.5 seconds to go, but Pitt State got the ball inbounded to Gustafson, who made both charity shots with 4.7 ticks remaining for the game's final margin. Matt Lassen, who made seven of his first nine 3-pointers and finished the game with a team-high 29 points for the Cardinals, came up short on a guarded 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Gustafson poured in a career-high 34 points to lead all scorers. He hit six 3-pointers and made 11 of 15 shots from the field in the game. Flynn also eclipsed his career scoring high with 19 points and he dished out six assists in the contest as well.

Two nights after struggling to a 14 of 28 shooting night at the foul line in a 98-89 road loss to Newman University, the Gorillas converted 26 of 32 free throws against William Jewell.

Owens finished the game with 15 points for Pitt State, while Dieng added nine points and Denton Hays chipped in with seven.

Tomlin had 23 points in the loss for the Cardinals, while Patrick Whelan also finished with 22.

Pitt State will return to action Nov. 27-28 when the Gorillas travel to Denver, Colo., to face Regis University and Metro State University.