RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Playing at home for the first time since January 11, the Arkansas Tech men's basketball team came away with a thrilling 71-68 win over Southwestern Oklahoma on Thursday night inside Tucker Coliseum
The game was a remarkably close back-and-forth affair that featured 12 tie scores and 14 lead changes. Most of the tie scores came in the first half while nine of the 14 lead changes occurred in the second half.
In the first half, SWOSU had the early advantage and led for most of the first eight or so minutes. The lead by the Bulldogs did not get out of reach in the first half as their largest advantage was six points.
The last of those six-point leads came at the 12:36 mark, but was quickly erased less than a minute later as the Wonder Boys hit three-pointers on each of their next two trips down the court to tie the score at 15-all.
The Wonder Boys then continued the run with four more points over the next two minutes of play to flip a six-point deficit into a four-point lead, 19-15. That was the Wonder Boys' largest lead of the first half and it was quickly erased as well as SWOSU scored four quick points to tie the score at 19-all.
Tech would remain in the lead at that moment on a pair of made free throws by
Trey Allen, but after a three-pointer by SWOSU on their ensuing possession gave them the lead once more, the Bulldogs would stay in front despite the Wonder Boys forcing six tie scores over the final seven and a half minutes.
The last of those ties came as time was expiring as Seybain Sims buried a corner three to send the game to halftime tied at 37-all.
Action remained extremely close throughout the second half as the largest lead on either side through the first 12 and a half minutes was just four points. At the 7:38 mark, SWOSU held that size lead, but it was trimmed to a single point as
Braden Tanner made good on an old-fashioned three-point play.
The Bulldogs answered back in a big way over the minute and a half as they rattled off six-unanswered points to suddenly take the largest lead of the game, seven points, 59-52, with 6:05 left. By the 5:15 mark, the SWOSU lead was up to eight points, 60-52.
On Tech's next trip down the floor, they finally got the lid to come off the rim from three-point range as
Cassius Brooks hit the first three of the half for the Wonder Boys. Prior to that, Tech had missed their first nine three-point shots of the second half.
Once the seal was broken on long-range shots, the Wonder Boys closed out the game making their last four attempts from deep. Two of those were made by Brooks while the other two were knocked down by
Kade Shaffer.
Both of Shaffer's three's gave the Wonder Boys the lead and the second of his two gave Tech the final lead they would need as he made it a 66-64 game in favor of the Wonder Boys with 1:52 to play. SWOSU would manage to tie the score at 66-all by the 1:27 mark, but an old-fashioned three-point play by Brooks at the 1:16 mark broke the tie.
From there, the Wonder Boys were able to make enough free throws to preserve the win.
Statistically, the Wonder Boys had three players score in double figures and were led by Shaffer and his 18 points. Shaffer was 7-of-9 overall from the floor and 4-of-6 from three-point range. Brooks was next in scoring with 17. Sims rounded out double-figure scoring with 14. He also added eight rebounds with five coming on the offensive glass.
The Wonder Boys will now prepare for a home game against Northwestern Oklahoma this coming Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
