Tough defense earns win for Tigers

RUSSELLVILLE -- With Arkansas Tech threatening to steal a win on its home court, Ouachita Baptist tightened its defense to secure a win Saturday afternoon.

Clinging to a slim 79-78 lead after Arkansas Tech senior guard Montrell Williams knocked down two free throws with 51 seconds remaining, the Tigers scored the last three points of the game and forced two turnovers in the final minute to seal an 82-78 win at Tucker Coliseum.

OBU improved to 5-9 overall and 3-6 in the Great American Conference, while the Wonder Boys dropped to 11-5 and 5-5 in conference.

Two free throws by freshman Matt Stanley followed by a layup from sophomore Isaiah Harper gave the Tigers a 68-56 lead with 9:02 remaining, but Arkansas Tech wouldn't go down without a fight.

Junior guard Alex Brown and sophomore guard Josiah Thomas each connected on a 3-pointer during an 8-0 run that pulled the Wonder Boys within 71-66 with 6:28 to play.

Three straight points from freshman guard R.J. Glasper, a transfer from the University of Arkansas, later had Arkansas Tech as close as 75-72 with three minutes remaining.

OBU's Kendarious Smith and Jontavis Willis combined for three points from the free throw line to stretch the lead back to 79-75 before the defense preserved the win.

Smith paced the Tigers with 22 points and four rebounds, while Willis finished with 17 points and three assists and Stanley recorded 12 points with four rebounds.

Williams led all scorers with 26 points for the Wonder Boys, hitting 10 of his 12 shots from the field. Brown finished with 24 points, and Glasper and junior guard Freddy Lee each scored 10 points.

OBU hosts rival Henderson State (8-8, 3-7) in the Battle of the Ravine Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. at Bill Vining Arena. Arkansas Tech hosts Southeastern Oklahoma State (9-7, 8-3) Thursday night.

Women

The Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (12-2, 8-2) turned a close game with OBU (9-6, 5-4) into a convincing win with a barrage of second-half points Saturday afternoon.

Leading 34-33 at the half, Arkansas Tech erupted for 23 points in the third quarter and 27 points in the fourth, pulling away for an 84-67 win at Tucker Coliseum.

The Golden Suns opened the fourth quarter on a 14-3 run to push their lead from 57-50 to 71-53 with 6:56 remaining. Junior guard Kylie Ladd's 3-pointer gave Arkansas Tech its largest lead of the game at 77-56 with 4:25 to play.

The Lady Tigers bounced back with a 9-2 run of their own, but the deficit proved too much to overcome. After a jumper by OBU freshman forward Eden Crow, Arkansas Tech junior guard Taylor Ely connected on a shot from behind the arc with 16 seconds remaining to set the final margin.

Both teams traded shots in the first quarter, with neither gaining more than a six-point lead. A layup by freshman Jacie Higgins gave the Golden Suns a slim 19-17 lead at the end of the period.

Arkansas Tech held a 28-21 advantage midway through the second quarter, but the Lady Tigers closed the frame on a 13-5 run to pull within 34-33 at the half.

Junior forward Lyrik Williams scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds for the Golden Suns. Freshman Ke'vonshaye Stackhouse added 15 points and Ladd finished with 14 points and five boards.

Sophomore guard Chasidee Owens paced the Lady Tigers with 12 points, while Shakyla Begnaud, Madison Brittain and Alivia Huell each scored 10 points.

Lake Hamilton High School graduate Kori Bullard recorded five points, six rebounds and two assists for the Lady Tigers.

OBU hosts rival Henderson State (11-5, 7-3) at 5:30 p.m. in the Battle of the Ravine Tuesday night at Bill Vining Arena. Arkansas Tech hosts Southeastern Oklahoma State (8-8, 6-5) Thursday night.

Sports on 01/21/2018

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