LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas – The Ouachita men's basketball team dropped its season opener against Rogers State University 85-70 Friday night.
Ouachita (0-1, 0-0 GAC) started off the 2024-25 campaign off trailing 6-0 to Rogers State (4-0, 0-0 MIAA) in game one of the 2024 GAC/MIAA Conference Challenge before
Devyn Franklin scored the first points of the season on a layup with two and a half minutes in. The Tigers started to wake up and cut that early deficit down to just a single point five minutes later. But RSU regained control and pushed its lead to double digits with five minutes left in the first half. The Tigers went into the break trailing 43-25.
The second half saw Ouachita begin to chip away at the halftime deficit early, but the Hillcats claimed control of the half again. A late spark showed life for the Tigers, a 6-0 run brought the score within 10 points with just under four minutes left to play. However, it was not enough. Rogers State held on to its lead and the Tigers fell in the season opener 85-70.
Shaun Williams led all scorers in his Ouachita debut with 22 points.
Hobert Grayson had a good Ouachita debut with a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double.
MJ Leslie put up 11 points and
Devyn Franklin scored 10 in his Tiger debut to round out the Tigers in double figures.
Franklin also led the team in blocks with three, steals with two, and was second on the team in rebounding with nine.
The Tigers will look to bounce back tomorrow when they take on the Lions of the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith at 6 p.m. at Little Rock Christian's Warrior Arena in Little Rock to close out the 2024 GAC/MIAA Challenge.
