RUSSELLVILLE. Ark. – RJ Glasper turned in a 25-point, six-board, five-assist performance and Montrell Williams notched a 22-point, 15-rebound double-double as the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys basketball team (13-6, 7-6 Great American Conference) defeated East Central (10-7, 8-5) 83-68 on Saturday afternoon at Tucker Coliseum.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After the Tigers scored the first basket of the game, the Wonder Boys scored ten of the next 12 points, highlighted by a Glasper 3-pointer to give Tech a six point advantage with 16:14 remaining in the opening half.
• Both teams traded baskets over the next several minutes, the Tigers cut the lead to one (13-12) but Tech pushed the lead back to six points (20-14) after Williams converted a steal into a breakaway dunk and Glasper connected on his third 3-pointer of the game.
• East Central cut into the lead once again (25-21), Tech answered with a 14-4 run to build its largest lead of the first half (39-25) with just under four minutes remaining in the first half.
• Over the closing four minutes, The Tiger put a 9-0 together to trim the Tech lead back to five (39-34). Mason Cline drilled a 3-pointer with 13 second left in the half to push Tech's lead back to eight (42-34) going into the break.
• Tech opened the second half on an 8-0 run, capped by a Freddy Lee 3-pointer to give the Wonder Boys a 16 point advantage (50-34).
• The Wonder Boys used the help of the three ball to extend their lead to 22 points (61-39), as Alex Brown, Glasper, and Lee all sunk 3-pointers on consecutive possessions.
• East Central was able to trim the lead to 11 on two different occasions (64-53 and 66-55) however Tech was able to weather the Tigers rally with a 16-6 run to push the lead back to 21 (82-61) with 2:41 remaining in regulation.
• The Tigers finished the game on a 7-1 run (83-68), however it was not enough as the Wonder Boys held on for their second straight win.

NOTABLES

• The win over East Central moves Tech to 13-6 overall and 7-6 in conference play, putting the Wonder Boys in a tie for fifth with Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Arkansas in the GAC standings.
• Tech out shot ECU 50.0 to 44.1 percent, connecting on 14 3-pointers.
• The Wonder Boys won the battle inside as they held a 37-32 advantage on the rebounding glass, while outscoring the Tigers 28-26 in the paint.
• Tech forced 19 turnovers and scored 24 points off those turnovers.
• Brown and Lee joined Glasper and Williams in double-digit scoring as Lee scored 12 points and Brown added ten points.
• Williams led the Wonder Boys with a career-high 15 rebounds. Williams also recorded his first double-double of the season and the third of his career at Tech.
• Glasper hit six 3-pointers for the contest.

NEXT UP

• The Wonder Boys are back in action on Thursday, Feb. 1, facing Northwestern Oklahoma State in a 7:30 p.m. matchup in Alva, Okla.