ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Ouachita's men's basketball team remains tied for the top spot in the Great American Conference, after defeating the Henderson State Reddies, 86-79, on Monday. The win gives Ouachita the season-sweep over the Reddies.
After a three-pointer by
Justin McCleary to start the scoring, Ouachita () maintained its lead for rest of the 20-minute half. With 15:25 to play until halftime,
Tirrell Brown's layup sparked an 8-0 run over the next two minutes, that eventually gave the Tigers a 13-3 lead.
Henderson () was able to cut the lead to single digits, until a 7-0 run for Ouachita extended its lead to 28-15 with 5:59 until the break. Late in the first half, the Reddies pulled within five on a 6-0 run, but McCleary netted a three at the first-half buzzer to put the Tigers ahead 40-32 at halftime.
The second half began with a three from
Carven Holcolmbe, but Henderson quickly pulled within single digits and eventually cut the deficit to three. Then, with 12:16 to play, the Reddies tied the game at 52 and took the lead with a three-pointer on their next possession. The second half featured six lead changes, until Ouachita finally took a 62-61 lead with 7:15 to play.
The Tigers never gained a lead of more than seven for the rest of the second half, until an
Allen Buchanan dunk on a fast break put Ouachita ahead 83-75. Ouachita netted 5-6 free-throws in the final minute to secure the seven-point win.
Ouachita netted 56.9 percent of its field goals for the game, the highest percentage this season since Ouachita defeated Henderson State on Jan. 18. The Tigers also converted 10-20 three-pointers and 18-22 free-throws. Ouachita also outscored Henderson 32-22 in the paint.
Lakee Westbrook posted a game-high 22 points, followed with Brown with 19. McCleary added 16 points, and Buchanan scored 12, all coming in the second half. Brown and
David Berete led the Tigers with six rebounds each, and
Jordan Corbitt dished out a career-high eight assists.
The Tigers are currently tied with East Central for first in the GAC. Ouachita's next contest will be on Thursday, Feb. 18, when the Tigers host the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
