ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – After a pair of COVID-19-related cancelations earlier this year and a weather postponement a day ago, the Arkansas Tech and Ouachita men's basketball teams finally met on the hardwood for the first time this season on Friday evening inside Bill Vining Arena in Arkadelphia.
 
Unfortunately for the Wonder Boys (6-6, 4-6 GAC), their first look at the Tigers (3-7, 3-6 GAC) this season did not go as planned.
 
Ouachita began the game on a 7-0 run through the first two minutes of action and did not look back as they led wire-to-wire. Despite falling behind early, the Wonder Boys were able to keep the game close throughout the early portion of the first half and pulled to within a point on two separate occasions.
 
The first of those came at the 16:38 mark on a layup by Tony Hall and the second on a three-pointer by Cejay Mann at the 11:57 mark. After Mann's trifecta brought the Wonder Boys to within a point, the Tigers ripped off a 12-2 run to push their lead out to double digits with 8:01 left in the first half. A quick answer with a three-pointer on the other end by Justin Briley brought the deficit back down to single digits.
 
It would remain a single-digit margin until the 2:21 mark. The Tigers then swelled their lead out as large as 17 points before ending the half with a 13-point lead, 42-29.
 
In the second half, the Wonder Boys would get as close as 10 points on three different occasions with the final one coming as late as the 11:27 mark. From there, however, it was all Ouachita as the Tigers eased into an 81-59 win.
 
Statistically, the Wonder Boys would shoot 45% overall from the floor (21-of-47), 42% from three-point range (10-of-24) and 70% from the free throw line (7-of-10). On the other end, the Tigers shot an even 50% overall from the floor (29-of-58), 46% from three-point range (10-of-22) and 77% (13-of-17) from the charity stripe.
 
Individually, the Wonder Boys had 11 players log action with all 11 scoring at least a point. Hall was the leading scorer with a season-high 18 points. He was the lone Wonder Boy in double figures, but Ke'Lyn Adams and Cameron Kennedy narrowly missed out on reaching double figures as each had nine points.
 
The Wonder Boys will not prepare for a quick turnaround as they are set to host Southern Arkansas on Saturday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for about 6 p.m. inside Tucker Coliseum.