ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - Five players scored in double figures to lead the Ouachita Tigers to a 76-59 win over Arkansas Monticello. The win was the third straight for the Tigers who remain in a tie for first place in the Great American Conference with East Central. Tirrell Brown led all players with 17 points and 11 rebounds. David Berete finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite shooting 52 percent from the floor in the first half, the Tigers had trouble getting into an offensive rhythm in the first half. The Tigers never trailed in the first half and led by as many as nine after a three by Lakee Westbrook and a free throw by Tirrell Brown made it a 22-13 lead for Ouachita. Despite holding the Weevils to a 35 percent field goal percentage in the first half, UAM capitalized on 11 first-half turnovers by the Tigers, converting those into 12 first-half points.

The Weevils tied the game at 22-22 with 9-0 run. UAM tied the game again at 24-24, but would not be able to take the lead away from Ouachita. The Tigers closed out the first half with a 9-3 run to lead 33-27 at the half. Five Tigers finished the half with five points or more, led by Brown's seven. Brown and Allen Buchanan were each a perfect 3-3 from the floor int he first half. Ouachita outscored the Weevils 18-10 in the paint for the half.

A steal at the top of the key and a break-away dunk by Carven Holcolmbe put Ouachita up 41-32 with just over 17 minutes left to play in the second half. Back-to-back jumpers by Brown and Justin McCleary would give Ouachita a 12-point lead at the 16:25 mark by a score of 45-33. On defense, the Tigers held UAM to 10 points in the first seven minutes of the second half. UAM would end up with 32 points in the second half, but would never get closer than 14 points to the Ouachita lead.

Brown and McCleary led the way offensively in the second half, scoring 10 and nine respectively. Both shot 4-5 from the floor in the second half and the Tigers as a team shot 50 percent from the floor in the half. Ouachita turned up the tempo in the second half, committing only four turnovers in the half and scoring 10 points on fast-break opportunities. The Tigers knocked down 11-13 from the free throw line in the second half to close out the game and give the Tigers the 76-59 win.

Ouachita travels to Magnolia, Ark. on Saturday, Feb. 20 to face the Muleriders. Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m.