STORM LAKE, Iowa – The Howard Payne University men's basketball team dropped its season opener Friday night, falling 118-76 to Gustavus Adolphus at Siebens Fieldhouse.

The Yellow Jackets hung around early and trailed just 19-13 midway through the opening half after a three-pointer from Keegan Rowell. However, Gustavus Adolphus used an efficient offensive performance and a strong transition game to extend its advantage, taking a 54-33 lead into halftime.

Freshman Jace Reed paced Howard Payne with a team-high 15 points off the bench, shooting 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range. Branden Campbell added 14 points, while Jordan McClendon contributed 12 points and Jackson Tomlin finished with eight points and four assists.

Howard Payne shot 37.3 percent from the field and collected 18 offensive rebounds, helping the Yellow Jackets finish with a 42-41 edge on the boards. The HPU bench also provided 35 points in the contest.

The Yellow Jackets opened the second half with baskets from Branden Campbell, Jordan McClendon and Jackson Tomlin to briefly cut into the deficit, but Gustavus Adolphus answered with a series of runs and pushed the margin beyond 30 points midway through the period.

Myles Barnette led all scorers with 24 points for Gustavus Adolphus, while Ethan Sonju added 19 points and five three-pointers. Landon Dimler chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds as the Gusties shot 52.5 percent from the floor and forced 21 Howard Payne turnovers that resulted in 26 points.

Also contributing for Howard Payne were Keegan Rowell with seven points, Jayden Bush with four points and two steals, and Evan Duncan, who pulled down five rebounds.

UP NEXT: The Yellow Jackets stay in Iowa for one more game on Saturday afternoon against the hosting Buena Vista University Beavers. From Siebens Fieldhouse, Howard Payne's second game of the year will tip off at 3:00 p.m. Central Time.