FORT SMITH, Arkansas - The No. 2 seed Ouachita men's basketball team eliminated Southwestern Oklahoma State 74-63 in the quarterfinal round of the Great American Conference Championship Tournament at Northside Arena in Fort Smith to secure a trip to the semifinals.
Ouachita controlled the pace for over 35 minutes to improve to 23-6 overall with the victory to end the season for Southwestern Oklahoma State at 11-18. The Tigers quickly settled in behind the relentless play of seniors Devon Hancock and PJ Neal. Both teams exchanged the first six baskets, until Hancock drilled a three from the right wing to ignite a 10-0 scoring run to separate from the Bulldogs at 14-7.
The Bulldogs stopped the bleeding after both benches were deployed to the court, but a pair of junior Tigers responded as Ryder McConnell knocked down a three from the top of the key and Trey Smith followed with a strong drive through the lane. Hancock began to open up and showcase his ball handling skills as he drove baseline to drop his defender for a smooth jumper to push the lead to nine.
Sophomore Crew Flowers got active to extend the lead to double-digits after he crashed the glass to tip in a putback, then swiped a steal for a fast break finish at the rim. The Bulldogs slowed down the pace at the charity stripe, but junior Gavin Snyder ramped up the defensive intensity to knock the basketball loose, which allowed Flowers to recover and lead Snyder ahead for a transition layup, plus the foul at the other end. The backcourt duo later connected again as Flowers scored a layup on a bounce pass assist from Snyder.
"Most of our game is being able to get transition points, so just being able to get in gaps and jump the passing lanes to get steals and get fast break points is really important for us," Flowers said.
Hancock stepped inside the arc to bury a pull-up mid-range jumper and send Ouachita into the locker room with a 34-27 halftime lead.
Neal opened the second half bruising the Bulldogs for a tough layup and freshman Jaxon Conley spun through the lane for another finish as Ouachita instantly reclaimed a double-digit advantage. Flowers finished with 15 points, while swiping a career-high six steals on the defensive end. Neal netted 14 points, while dishing out three assists. Conley contributed 11 points and six rebounds.
The Bulldogs briefly trimmed the deficit to within 10 early in the second half, but Hancock connected on another pull-up jumper to restore a 12-point cushion. Hancock saved room to unveil his highlight-reel handles, dribbling behind his back to create enough separation before hitting a tough fadeaway from the left elbow. The Dallas native led the Tigers with a game-high 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the floor.
Despite making just two shots from 3-point range, Ouachita finished 48% from the floor and dominated with a 38-24 edge in points scored inside the paint. The Tigers scouted the Bulldogs' motion plays to force 18 turnovers, which led to a decisive 20-6 advantage in fast break points.
"Happy to get the first one out of the way," Head Coach Dennis Nutt said. "The first one is usually the toughest. I thought our guys settled in and played the style we need to play."
With the win, Ouachita advances to the GAC Tournament semifinals to continue its postseason run on Saturday in Fort Smith. The Tigers will face the winner between No. 3-seed Harding and No. 6-seeded Southeastern Oklahoma State. Tip-off is set for 2:15 p.m. at Northside Arena.
