MONTICELLO, Ark. — D.J. Jethroe scored a team-best 16 points with six rebounds, while Branden Williams turned in a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double as the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys basketball team (15-13, 11-9 Great American Conference) picked up an 83-76 win over Arkansas-Monticello (7-18, 3-16 GAC) in the teams' regular-season finale on Saturday at Steelman Fieldhouse.

In a contest that saw seven ties and eight lead changes in the opening half, the Wonder Boys claimed a 42-37 halftime advantage. Tech outshot UAM 51.7 to 36.6 percent in the opening half, but the Boll Weevils claimed an 8-1 advantage in offensive rebounds to hold a 7-0 advantage in second-chance points, while holding a 7-2 advantage in points off turnovers in the opening half.

The second half saw the Wonder Boys stretch their lead out to ten (54-44) with 16:52 to play, but the Boll Weevils outscored the Wonder Boys 15-4 over the next six minutes to reclaim a 59-58 lead with 10:41 to play.

Nick Wayman buried a pair of free throws with 9:37 to play to put Arkansas Tech ahead, and while the Boll Weevils hung close over the following five minutes, Tech stretched its lead back into the double figures, pulling ahead by as many as 12 (79-67) with 3:15 to play.

UAM narrowed the gap to five (81-76) with 1:06 to play, but the Wonder Boys capped the win with a thunderous dunk by D.J. Jethroe with 32 seconds to play and Tech held on for the win.

Tech placed five players in double figures in the win, as Tyler Friedel and Mike Balogun turned in 13-point performances, while Jay Murphy added a 10-point, seven-rebound effort. Clarence Willard finished with eight points and nine assists.

The Wonder Boys will return to action on Friday, March 6 in an opening-round contest at the Great American Conference championship tournament in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. A complete tournament bracket will be released later Saturday at www.greatamericanconference.com.