ARKADELPHIA — In a cross-street rivalry defined by historic wild finishes, the No. 16 Ouachita men's basketball team claimed a season sweep over Henderson State after Thursday's 66-60 road win inside the Duke Wells Center.
Not often will the opening script foreshadow the terrific climax, but the exact opening sequence replayed itself on the other end of the floor as the Tigers survived a late surge from the Reddies. Trailing by two inside the final minute, Ouachita's junior rim protector Christian Parks rose to vehemently deny a Reddies fast break layup. Senior PJ Neal pushed the pace and handed the rock over to senior Devon Hancock to bury a go-ahead three from the right wing and take a late 61-60 lead with just 47.2 seconds left to play.
Clinging to a slim one-point lead, Parks elevated once again to reject Henderson State junior Jabari West at the rim. The loose ball was knocked out of bounds to give the Tigers possession and force the Reddies to suddenly change their strategy to intentionally foul. Ouachita (19-4, 15-2 GAC) closed the game on an 8-0 run to earn the road win in hostile territory.
The last-minute sequence was a mirror image of how Hancock initially broke the ice, then ultimately delivered the game-winning basket. Parks blocked a shot on the Reddies' first possession, which created an instant scoring opportunity as Hancock buried a transition three to give the Tigers an early 3-0 lead. After the Reddies briefly took a 10-7 lead, Hancock responded with a pull-up three from the right wing to level the score at 10 before the first media timeout.
Both teams traded baskets early on as Ouachita junior Ryder McConnell made a three from the right wing to tie it at 17 apiece, but Arkadelphia native James Elgas responded with a three to retake the lead for the Reddies. The Tigers pounced on a 13-0 run by scoring five consecutive baskets to take control. Trailing 24-21, Crew Flowers tied it up with a corner three, then the sophomore swiped a steal on the defensive end to terminate the Reddies' next possession. Flowers finished with 14 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block for the Tigers.
Junior forward Trey Smith crashed the glass to score a putback, then freshman Jaxon Conley muscled his way inside to score through contact. Neal capped the scoring surge with an off-balance bank shot, while falling to the floor to force Henderson State to burn a timeout. Sophomore Jameel Wesley II hit a 3-pointer to end the six-minute scoring drought for the Reddies, but Conley found junior Gavin Snyder wide open to respond with a three from the top of the key.
Hancock curled around a screen at the top of the key to connect on his third 3-pointer as Ouachita separated itself 40-29 before heading into the locker room. After the Reddies cut the deficit to within nine to begin the second half, Hancock drilled his fourth 3-pointer to give the Tigers their largest lead. Hancock led the Tigers with 19 points, shooting 5-for-10 from the floor and 5-for-7 from beyond the arc.
The Reddies mounted a comeback and traded blows down the stretch to force the rivalry game into 10 lead changes and nine ties. Henderson State attacked inside and capitalized on second-chance opportunities. West scored a putback layup to give the Reddies a two-point edge, then delivered a one-legged jumper to restore a 60-58 lead before Ouachita's momentum-shifting sequence in the final moments.
Parks finished with 11 points, four rebounds and three blocks, including two late rejections in the final minute that kept a 1-point lead intact for the Tigers. Conley jumped the passing lane to secure a decisive steal that forced the Reddies to intentionally foul, then Conley hit three of four free throws in the final seconds to seal the road win. The Tigers held their rivals to without a made 3-pointer in the second half as the Reddies finished just 3-for-12 from beyond the arc. Ouachita has defeated Henderson State (9-14, 6-11 GAC) in six consecutive meetings.
Ouachita returns home to host Arkansas Tech on Saturday, with tip-off scheduled for 3 p.m. inside Bill Vining Arena.
