Box Score RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Mason Cline scored a career-high 26 points and grab a career-high ten boards, Freddy Lee turned in a 16-point, eight assist game, while two other Wonder Boys ended up in double figures as the Arkansas Tech men's basketball team (5-1, 2-1 GAC) won a Great American Conference matchup 88-81 over Southwestern Oklahoma State (1-6, 0-3 GAC) on Thursday evening at Tucker Coliseum.
 
NEXT UP

• Arkansas Tech continues its four-game home stand on Saturday, Dec. 2, hosting Great American Conference opponent Northwestern Oklahoma State in a 3 p.m. matchup.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Wonder Boys fell behind early as the Bulldogs jumped out to an early 9-2 lead in the opening two minutes.
• Southwestern went on an 8-5 run to build its largest lead of the game at 17-7 with 12:22 remaining in the opening half.
• Arkansas Tech answered the Bulldogs with 13-2 run, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from both Cline and Harris Brown to put the score at 20-19 with 9:35 remaining.
• After Southwestern briefly claimed an advantage minutes later, it was Tech again creating separation, opening a lead that reached double figures (39-27) with 2:53 to play in the opening half and grew as big as 15 points (45-30) with 1:33 to go until halftime.
• The Wonder Boys closed out the first half with a 48-34 lead. Shooting 42.1 percent from the floor and 41.9 percent from beyond the arc, while holding SWOSU to 31.0 percent shooting and 26.7 percent from 3-point range.
• Southwestern opened the second half on a 9-0 run to cut the Wonder Boys lead to five with 18:08 remaining in regulation.
• Tech pushed the lead back to nine (52-43) after Lee made a layup and H. Brown hit a jumper. The Bulldogs used an 11-3 run closed the gap to one point at 55-54 with 15:02 remaining.
• The Wonder Boys weathered the SWOSU storm by putting together a 10-4 run to take a seven point advantage (65-58) with just under ten minutes left to play.
• Southwestern pulled to within three points on two occasions, (66-63 and 68-65), but that was as close as they would come as Tech built an 11-point lead, capped by a RJ Glasper 3-pointer to put the score at 81-70 with 2:11 to play.
• The Bulldogs were able to pull to within seven within the final two minutes, but the Wonder Boys hit free throws down the stretch to preserve the lead and seal the victory.

NOTABLES

• The Wonder Boys' win moves Tech to 5-1 on the year and 2-1 in conference play.
• Tech hit a season-high 18 3-pointers, one shy of tying the single-game school record of 19 that was hit against Southeastern Oklahoma State during the 2014-15 season.
• Cline recorded his first career double-double as he posted career highs in both points (26) and rebounds (10). Cline also hit a career-high seven 3-pointers on 7-for-15 shooting from behind the arc.
• Tech held the advantage in rebounds (46-44), points off turnovers (14-8), bench points (36-25) and second-chance points (17-10) while SWOSU led in points in the paint (26-14).
• Joining Cline and Lee in double figure points were H. Brown (18) and Glasper (16). Lee also tallied a season-high eight assists, while Alex Brown grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, marking the second straight game he has reached double-digits in rebounds.