ARKADELPHIA — The Ouachita men's basketball team never trailed and reached the century mark for the second consecutive game in Saturday's 100-47 rout over Ecclesia inside Bill Vining Arena.
The wire-to-wire victory improved the Tigers record to 3-1 this season, built on a relentless offensive pace and a blistering defensive effort. Ouachita started out with a defensive stranglehold and forced three turnovers on Ecclesia's first four possessions. The Tigers pounced to an early 11-0 scoring run, while holding the Royals (0-8) without a made basket for the first seven minutes of action.
Senior guard P.J. Neal secured a loose rebound and attacked the rim for the putback to break the ice after a slow start from both squads. Freshman guard Jaxon Conley followed up leading the charge in transition, dishing a no-look assist inside to find sophomore guard Crew Flowers for an easy bucket. Flowers led the Tigers with a game-high 18 points, on 6-for-11 shooting from the floor and 2-for-6 from 3-point range.
The Tigers continued to feast on backdoor cuts to find open looks inside the paint. Graduate senior guard Devon Hancock drove inside and dumped it off to junior forward Christian Parks for the slam dunk. Neal continued to press forward and converted a floater through contact to extend the run to 9–0, then Conley stole the ball and finished coast-to-coast to cap off the initial scoring surge. Neal added 13 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting, while delivering six assists.
The Tigers pushed the pace and asserted their identity to take a commanding 41-19 lead over the Royals at halftime. Ecclesia finished just 17-for-53 (32%) shooting from the floor and 6-for-18 from deep. Ouachita has allowed opponents to hit just 19.7% of their shots from beyond the arc, which ranks third in the nation. The Tigers rank inside the top 10 nationally in defensive field-goal percentage.
Ouachita oliberated Ecclesia after the break and poured in 59 second-half points as the Tigers shot a scorching 61% from the floor and drilled nine 3-pointers. The Tigers forced 25 turnovers, which led to a 40-12 edge in points off turnovers.
The Tigers emptied their bench, which exploded for 29 second-half points as the lead ballooned to as many as 57. Junior forward Jaden Webb anchored Ouachita's defensive identity with nine points, six rebounds and three blocks. Parks finished with eight points, six rebounds and one block.
Ouachita returns to the hardwood on Tuesday for a home game against Champion Christian, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Vining Arena.
