SHAWNEE – With several players, and the campus, dealing with sickness the last few days, Thursday night's Oklahoma Baptist versus Ouachita matchup ended with a 71-59 Tigers win in the Noble Complex.
The Bison fell to 10-5 overall and 7-2 in the Great American Conference. For Ouachita, it improved to 11-4 and 6-3 in the league.
In the opening stanza, competition was very close. In fact, the biggest lead ever attained was six and that came from the hosts a few times. The last of those, from senior Nate Wilson with 17 seconds left, brought the tally to 29-23 at the break.
However, Ouachita's resurgence began early in the second, fueled by exceptional defense and transition offense. Hobert Grayson anchored the Tigers with a monster double-double, tallying 22 points and 13 rebounds, including multiple second-chance points and critical defensive stops.
Reggie Martin complemented Grayson with an efficient 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting, showcasing relentless attacks in the paint. Shaun Williams contributed across the board with 15 points, four assists, and four steals, igniting fast-break opportunities that helped Ouachita establish momentum.
For Oklahoma Baptist,
JC Curry and
Daniel Ransom each scored 12 points, but the Bison struggled to find consistent offense. Despite winning the rebounding battle 42-32, their poor shooting—33.3 percent from the field and just 22.7 percent from three—hampered their efforts.
Ethan Scott tried to provide a spark off the bench with 10 points, including two late triples, but it was too little, too late.
The Bison's 33.3 overall shooting mark was its worst since the second game of the season against Minnesota Duluth (29.6).
The Tigers flipped the script after halftime, outscoring the Bison 48-30 in the second half. Their aggressive defense forced 21 turnovers, leading to 14 points, while their interior dominance yielded a 44-30 advantage in points in the paint.
Ouachita capitalized on a late 14-3 run, highlighted by Grayson's emphatic dunk and Martin's fast-break layups, extending the lead to double digits. The Tigers also maintained their composure at the free-throw line, shooting 92.3 percent in the second.
Next on the schedule for the Bison is home date with Henderson State on Jan. 18 at 1 p.m.
