WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Ouachita sophomore Crew Flowers delivered in the clutch Saturday, driving baseline to bank in the game-winning shot and lift the Tigers to a 61-56 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State at the Pioneer Event Center.
With the Tigers and Bulldogs all tied up at 56 apiece inside the final minute, Flowers finished strong through contact, drew the foul and buried the ensuing free throw to put Ouachita ahead with 36.6 seconds left to play. Flowers scored seven points and swiped four steals in a road victory capped by another poised closing stretch for the Tigers. Ouachita earned an eighth straight Great American Conference win to remain unbeaten in league play. The contest featured 12 lead changes and five ties, but Ouachita forced 18 turnovers and outscored SWOSU 19-4 in fast break points, which proved to be the difference.
Ouachita senior Devon Hancock led the Tigers scoring 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting from the floor, consistently attacking off the dribble and pulling up shots in rhythm. The Dallas-native took a feed from Flowers to slam home a transition dunk, then followed up with a spot-up three from the right wing. After the Bulldogs pulled within one point, Hancock drained a pull-up jumper just inside the arc to maintain the advantage. The Tigers carried a 29-26 lead into halftime by closing on a 13-4 run over the final four minutes of the first half.
Ouachita (12-2, 8-0 GAC) seized control after the break on a run sparked by consecutive steals and transition finishes at the rim. The Tigers pounced to a 12-0 scoring run midway through the second half, punctuated by freshman Jaxon Conley gliding with a eurostep to finish a finger roll with his left, then he intercepted a pass and flushed a two-handed jam to force SWOSU (5-9, 2-6 GAC) to burn a timeout.
The Bulldogs used an 8-0 run over a five-minute span to claw back within striking distance, then reclaimed a 56-54 lead after sophomore Kray Rogers drilled a corner three with 2:45 remaining. The Tigers responded with composure as Conley calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game at 56, which set the stage for Flowers' late heroics. Conley contributed 14 points, five rebounds and four steals. His four steals increased his league lead to 39 in just 13 games, which ranks tied for seventh among Division II players.
Ouachita improved to 12-2 overall and 8-0 in GAC play, marking the program's best start at the midpoint of the regular season in its Division II era. The Tigers received three votes in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches poll and continued to live up to their billing as the nation's top scoring defense, holding the Bulldogs to 56 points. Ouachita opponents are averaging just under 59 points per game this season.
Ouachita returns to Arkadelphia to host a men's and women's hoops double-header against Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday, Jan. 15. The men's game is scheduled to tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
