Box Score SHAWNEE, Okla. – The Ouachita Baptist Tigers bounced back from a Thursday night loss to Southern Nazarene with a 79-73 victory over Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday afternoon.
Ouachita (9-11, 7-8 GAC) completed their first season sweep against Oklahoma Baptist (9-12, 6-9 GAC) since the 2015-2016 basketball season.
The Tigers got out to a slow start offensively though in the opening half of play as they trailed by as many as seven points. With 6:47 to go in the first half Wesley Franklin (Frisco, Texas) knocked down a mid-range jumper pulling the Tigers within a point of the Bison's.
A few seconds later Franklin stole the ball away and passed the ball to Matthew Ward (Charleston, Ark.) who connected on a three-pointer to give the Tigers a 23-21 lead. Ward and Franklin alternated buckets the next two possessions for the Tigers to increase the lead to 28-21.
The Tigers 15-2 run between the 6:47-1:55 mark in the game was one of the biggest of the season. The run helped propel Ouachita to a comfortable 39-29 lead at halftime.
Franklin was on fire in the first half connecting on 7-9 shots from the floor and scoring 14-points in the process.
The Tigers built on their early in the second half as
Jontavis Willis (Strong, Ark.) connected on a three-pointer to extend the Ouachita lead to 13-points. Moments later Franklin connected on back-to-back layups and the Tigers lead was 54-36.
With 7:02 remaining in the second half Spencer Lindsey hit a three-pointer to pull the Bison within six points of the Tigers. Moments later Lindsey connected on another three-pointer to pull the Bison within three points.
Mahlon Martin (Little Rock, Ark.) answered the quick Bison run with a three point shot to keep the Tigers ahead by six. The Bison never came close the rest of the half as Ouachita held on for a 79-73 victory on the road.
Franklin lead the team in points with 22 on the night, while Willis and Aitor Lopez-Breton each contributed 11-points for the Tigers.
Ouachita returns home on Thursday evening to take on East Central University at 7:30 p.m.
