SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist muscled itself into a first-place tie atop the Great American Conference men's basketball standings beating league-leader Southern Arkansas 88-72 Thursday night in Shawnee.
The win improved OBU to 10-7 on the year and tied them with Southern Nazarene and SAU for the league's top spot at 9-2. OBU will look to keep its lofty perch when it next plays at home Saturday against Arkansas-Monticello. Tipoff is at 3 p.m. at the Noble Complex in Shawnee.
Brantly Thompson scored 18 points and
Davion Turner added 14 as the Bison handed the nationally-ranked visitors their worst loss of the season. The Muleriders entered on an eight-game win streak and had only been beaten by one point in their last 15 games.
The Bison broke free from SAU thanks in part to a 10-0 run late in the first half. SAU tied it at 26 on a basket by Devante Brooks with 7:53. OBU then strung together seven free throws and when Turner drilled a three pointer the Bison led 36-26 with 3:23 to play before half.
OBU took a 44-34 lead at the break and built the margin to 15 when
Dishon Lowery slammed home a dunk with 8:55 to play.
SAU close late when Trey Davis trimmed OBU's lead to 74-69 with 4:36 to play on a short jumper. Harrison Stoddard and Thompson then scored on nifty inside moves and the Mulerider threat was brushed aside.
OBU finished the game making 26-of-46 shots from the field for 56.5 percent, the most against an NCAA Division II foe this year. The Bison connected on 11 three pointers with Turner having four and
Caleb Norris adding two in a reserve role.
OBU became the first team all season to shoot above 50 percent against an SAU team that had been holding its opponents to fewer than 40 percent shooting through the first 16 games.
