MAGNOLIA, Arkansas – The Ouachita Baptist University men's basketball team dropped its final road game on the regular season, falling to the second-place Muleriders of Southern Arkansas University by a score of 86-75.
Ouachita (10-15, 8-13 GAC) started the game well. After Southern Arkansas (18-9, 14-7 GAC) made the first shot, The Tigers went on a 7-0 run to lead 7-2 just under three minutes into the action. The opening run for the Tigers was capped off with a layup from
Ma'Darius Hobson. The Tigers extended their lead to almost double digits on an
Alex Scariolo layup that made the score 14-5 in favor of Ouachita. The nine points were the most the Tigers led by in the first half, but they held onto that lead for the entirety of the half, from the 19:26 mark to the half time buzzer. SAU cut the Tigers' lead down to a single point with just under three minutes left to play in the half, but Ouachita answered right back with a
Hamilton Hamm Jumper to make it 37-34 in favor of the Tigers. The two teams traded the last two makes of the half and Ouachita went into the break with a 40-36 lead over SAU.
The Tigers came out hot to start the second half, opening on a 6-0 run capped by a jumper from Hobson to push their lead out to double digits for the first time of the game. The Muleriders answered back with a few makes over their own, but two minutes later, the Tigers found themselves back up by 10 points. SAU cut the Tigers' lead down and took its first lead since the first minute of the game with 10:42 left in the contest. Southern Arkansas held that lead for just over two minutes before Ouachita took it back on a layup from
Tylar Haynes with eight minutes left. Both teams traded shots and leads over the next few minutes, with the Tigers taking their final lead of the night with 5:03 left in the game on another Haynes layup to put them up by one. But SAU answered back with a pair of free throws to retake the lead, and the Muleriders would hold and extend that lead for the final five minutes. Some last-minute fouling and free throws brought about the final score of 86-75.
LaQuan Butler Jr. lead the way for the Tigers tonight with 22 points.
Ma'Darius Hobson was next with 14 points, and
Jared Adams and
Hamilton Hamm each had 10 to round out the top scorers for the Tigers.
The 10 points were a career-high for
Hamilton Hamm and a Ouachita career-high for
Jared Adams.
The Tigers needed a win tonight to clinch a berth into the Great American Conference Tournament, but their chances remain alive going into the final game of the season on Saturday. Ouachita is currently tied with SWOSU for the eighth and final spot in the tournament after the Bulldogs also lost tonight. The Bulldogs play first-place Southern Nazarene on Saturday, whereas the Tigers face eleventh place UAM.
Ouachita will also be honoring its two seniors,
Ma'Darius Hobson and
LaQuan Butler Jr., on Saturday for Senior Day.
The Tigers will look to snap their losing streak and secure a berth into the Great American Conference Tournament in the final game of the regular season on Saturday, February 25 as they host the Boll Weevils of the University of Arkansas at Monticello for Senior Day at Bill Vining Arena.
