Wonder Boys Deal Bison First GAC Defeat

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. -- In a nail-biter at Tucker Coliseum, Arkansas Tech (6-7, 3-4 GAC) pulled off a dramatic 63-61 victory over Oklahoma Baptist (9-4, 6-1 GAC) on Thursday. Despite a second-half surge by the Bison, the Wonder Boys held on to secure their sixth win of the season, backed by critical free throws and a staunch defense.

The game was a tale of two halves. Arkansas Tech dominated the first half, shooting an impressive 57.1% from the field and nailing six 3-pointers to take a commanding 43-27 lead at halftime. Guard Braden Tanner led the charge with 15 points, including a trio of timely buckets in the paint. Jakob Zenon added nine, all from beyond the arc, helping the Wonder Boys establish a 16-point advantage at the break.

However, Oklahoma Baptist roared back in the second stanza, tightening their defense and forcing Arkansas Tech into costly turnovers. The Bison capitalized, spearheaded by Daniel Ransom's 16-point effort. Ransom's two clutch buckets in the final minutes nearly completed the comeback. Ricky Brown contributed 13 points, while Terry Coner Jr. added 11. Plus, Joshua Udoumoh scored a season-high 10 with a pair of three-pointers.

With the game tied at 61 in the waning moments, Arkansas Tech's Cassius Brooks sank a free throw to put the Wonder Boys ahead by one. A defensive stop and another free throw by Kade Shaffer sealed the victory, as Oklahoma Baptist's last-second, pull-up jumper by Coner Jr. fell short.

Down the stretch, and in the final 2:22, OBU missed all three of its shots.

Arkansas Tech won the rebounding battle 42-30, including 12 offensive boards that led to key second-chance points. For OBU, the minus-12 rebounding margin was its worst this season. Despite shooting just 26.9 percent in the second half, the Wonder Boys' early cushion and timely free-throw shooting were enough to fend off the Bison.

Oklahoma Baptist suffered its first GAC loss of the season and will look to rebound on Saturday at 1 p.m. when it visits Harding, a team that handed Southern Nazarene its first conference loss on Thursday too.