BARTLESVILLE, Okla. - The Ouachita Tigers won their second Great American Conference tournament championship in four years on Sunday, defeating the Harding Bisons, 72-56.
The Tigers outscored Harding 48-25 in the first half, including a 33-9 run to end the period. Harding climbed back in the second half, trailing by as little as seven points with 13:20 to go.
Ouachita held off the comeback, however, ending the game on a 13-5 run and securing a spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament. David Berete and Lakee Westbrook were named to the GAC All-Tournament Team, and Tirrell Brown was named the tournament's most valuable player.
Ouachita held Harding, the GAC's top-shooting team, to a field-goal percentage of 29.7 percent, as season low for the Bisons. The Tigers posted a 39 percent field-goal percentage, and Ouachita netted 21-27 free-throws. Ouachita also grabbed a season-high 52 rebounds in the victory, including 12 offensive boards that resulted in 15 second-chance points.
Brown, the 2015 GAC Player of the Year and 2016 All-GAC First Team selection, led all scorers with 24 points. Brown also tied with Jordan Corbitt for a game-high eight rebounds. Westbrook, the 2016 GAC Newcomer of the Year, and Mahlon Martin followed with 10 points each. Berete, the 2016 GAC Defender of the Year, added seven points and four rebounds.
Ouachita's bench provided the spark in the first half, scoring 23 out of 48 points. Martin led the bench with eight points in the period, followed by Aitor Lopez-Breton with six and Jontavis Willis with five.
The Tigers have won two tournament championships and one regular-season championship in the five-year history of the GAC. The 16-point victory for Ouachita is the largest margin of victory in GAC championship-game history.
With the win over Harding, Ouachita earns its second trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Tigers made their first appearance in the national tournament in 2008, when Ouachita defeated Florida Southern, 74-69, in the first round, before falling to North Alabama, 99-93, in overtime in the round of 32.
The NCAA Division II Tournament Selection Show will air on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. To watch where Ouachita will be selected, click here.
