ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – A late second-half run pushed Henderson State (5-6, 4-2 GAC) to an 82-77 victory over Oklahoma Baptist (6-6, 3-3 GAC) on Saturday afternoon in Arkadelphia.
With the contest tied at 67-all with three minutes remaining, the Reddies mounted an 11-3 run that left OBU down by eight before cementing the win down the stretch. Prior to the final buzzer, within the 17-second mark, the Bison outscored the home team 7-4, but it was to no avail.
For the game, OBU shot 44.9 percent while the Reddies nailed 51.6 percent of their attempts, including a 57.5 percent clip in the closing stanza. The Bison shot just 40.0 percent from the field in the second half.
Nonetheless, the Bison netted 12 triples, accounting for nearly half its final tally.
The loss gives Oklahoma Baptist a 6-6 overall record and a 3-3 mark in GAC action.
LEADERS
Senior guard Ricky Brown led the charge with 25 points, a part of three Bison double-digit scorers. Brown knocked down a game-high five threes, one off his season best, at a 45.5 percent rate. He added six rebounds and two assists.
Terry Coner Jr. poured in 19 points, highlighted by a 4-for-7 mark from beyond the arc to go along with three assists.
Trevin Wade recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. Wade also had six rebounds and a steal.
Joshua Udoumoh flirted with the same feat with nine points and eight rebounds. Five of Udoumoh's boards came on the offensive end.
Daniel Ransom collected five points, eight boards, and two assists.
FIRST HALF
Oklahoma Baptist built an early seven-point lead (17-10) five minutes into the game, following back-to-back threes from Coner.
The Reddies cut the advantage to two over the next few minutes before Coner and Brown cashed in from three-point land to put OBU up by eight.
The Bison's shooting success remained down the stretch, going up as much as nine with three minutes left. HSU retaliated but only came within five before a Udoumoh bucket sent the green and gold into the half with a 40-33 lead.
SECOND HALF
Henderson State cut its deficit and tied the game (42-42) by the 17:29 mark, courtesy of a 7-2 run out of the break. The lead changed four times before a 10-3 HSU sprint put the Bison down 51-58 with 10 minutes remaining.
On the next possession, Wade knocked down a jumper that sparked a 10-4 run to bring Oklahoma Baptist within one (62-61).
The green and gold eventually tied the contest at 65-all and another time at 67, but the Reddies knocked down shots and kept their cushion for the victory.
NOTES
- Five Bison played 30-plus minutes.
- OBU was without role players Ethan Scott and TJ Strong for a second-straight game.
- It was the fourth time Oklahoma Baptist made at least 11 triples this season.
- OBU shot 3-of-12 (.250) at the free throw line, its lowest all season.
NEXT UP
The Bison return to Shawnee for a two-game stretch inside the Noble Complex against Arkansas Tech (1/11) and Harding (1/13). Thursday's game versus Tech is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
