CANYON, Texas – No. 24 Oklahoma Baptist (3-3, 0-0 GAC) drew within two with under 34 seconds remaining but couldn't overcome the Greyhounds (3-3, 0-0 LSC) lead as the Bison fell 70-66 in Canyon on Saturday night.
With three players in double figures, it'd seem like an OBU win was inevitable, but Eastern New Mexico used their 53.8 percent shooting advantage to aid their triumph.
Both squads shot over 50 percent as the Bison posted a 52.9 percent shooting clip. ENMU went 7-of-17 from the arc while OBU was 6-of-16. The two recorded a matching 25 rebounds, as 19 of OBU's boards came on the defensive side.
For the early part of the first half, OBU held the advantage as the Bison built a 17-9 lead. ENMU fought their way back into the contest, mounting a 12-4 run to tie the game 21-21 at the 5:20 mark. The Greyhounds proceeded to take the lead and kept it to hold a 29-28 advantage going into the break.
Oklahoma Baptist shot more efficiently in the second half, putting in 14-of-20 (70%) from the floor. Despite the Bison's shooting ability, Eastern New Mexico refused to give up the reigns, denying OBU each time they drew near.
A Jaquan Simms three-pointer in the game's dwindling seconds brought the Bison within three, 68-66, but the Greyhounds shut the door of opportunity to seal their win.
Simms and Burke Putnam scored 21 and 19 points, respectively, to lead OBU. Simms was 9-of-12 from the floor and knocked down a team-best 3-of-4 from the arc. Putnam added four boards and two assists to round off his night.
Freshman D.J. Freeman posted a season-high 13 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting. Freeman brought six boards and dished out four assists as well.
Other notables were Nigel Wilcox, who brought down a team-high seven boards, and Trey Green, who recorded three steals.
Oklahoma Baptist will look to end their two-game skid as they will open Great American Conference play next week against Northwestern Oklahoma State. The contest will be played in Alva and is set to tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
