SHAWNEE – Ricky Brown was one of four Oklahoma Baptist players to reach double-digit scoring efforts as the Bison men's basketball team rolled to a 74-56 win over Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday.
OBU was outstanding on the offensive end hitting at least 54 percent from the field and from three-point range. Plus, its defense did a good job, holding UAM to 38.2 percent shooting and converting nine turnovers into 15 points.
Oklahoma Baptist set the tone early, jumping to a commanding 38-20 halftime lead fueled by sharp shooting and aggressive defense. Brown led the charge posting 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a stellar 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. Supporting him was
Ethan Scott, who came off the bench to score 14 points, hitting 4-of-5 three-pointers.
Nathan Wilson also aided the team with 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks.
Arkansas-Monticello's struggles began in the first half, where they shot just 28.6% from the field and committed nine turnovers. Despite Seth Grandberry's valiant 22-point effort, his teammates couldn't sustain offensive momentum. Noah Thomas added 13 points, but the team's overall shooting woes (38.2% FG, 31.8% 3PT) left them trailing throughout.
OBU's ball movement and depth were also key, with 20 assists spread across multiple players. Their bench contributed 25 points compared to Arkansas-Monticello's two. The Bison also controlled the boards, out-rebounding the Boll Weevils 39-27, with
Efe Sekeroglu pulling down a game-high nine rebounds.
The second half saw Arkansas-Monticello mount a brief rally, shooting 48.2%, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit. The Bison maintained a steady pace and stayed up by at least 12 points. Brown and Scott hit timely shots to keep the Boll Weevils at bay.
With the win, Oklahoma Baptist improved to 4-3 and 1-0 in the Great American Conference. The Bison will aim to build on this victory in their next conference matchup which comes on Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. against Southern Arkansas.
