Box Score ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The UAM men’s basketball team locked up the three-seed in next week’s GAC Basketball Tournament with an 81-77 win over Ouachita Baptist.
The game went back-and-forth all night long, with the only double-digit lead coming with 15:17 remaining in the second half, 33-44 for the Boll Weevils. As a result, the game had 12 separate lead changes and nine ties, including at the second half buzzer.
Both teams shot in the 30’s for the first half, as UAM took a 28-23 lead into the break. The first half saw just 20 made baskets between the two teams. Ricardo Hall had a chance to put the Weevils up four with 1:06 after hitting a jumper and drawing contact from Michael Morris, but the foul shot rimmed out giving OBU the ball back with less than a minute remaining.
Michael Morris hit his jumper and foul shot to tie the game at 66 with 49 seconds on the clock. Kori Forge’s last-chance jumper missed it’s mark and sent the game into overtime. In the overtime it looked as if OBU would hold their home court as they jumped out to a fast start.
They led by four with 1:15 left, but Ricardo Hall hit a three followed by two missed jumpers from the Tigers and another Michael Morris foul, this time on L.A. Farmer. Farmer hit both free throws with 20 seconds left to play to give UAM their first lead of the overtime, 78-77. Kori Forge closed out the game with three successful free throw attempts to set the 81-77 final.
L.A. Farmer led the way for the Weevils with 25 points in 45 minutes. Kori Forge finished with 20 points in 44 minutes. Ricardo Hall and Sergio Crowe rounded out those in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Crowe missed the double-double by one rebound at nine on the night.
UAM shot 45-percent on the night, going 28-of-61 from the field, including 7-of-18 from three for 38-percent. OBU shot 26-of-62 for the game for 41-pecent, including 5-of-14 from deep at 35-percent. UAM hit 18-of-25 free throws (72-percent) and the Tigers hit 20-of-22 for 90-percent.
The win secures the three seed for the Weevils in next week’s GAC Basketball Tournament in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. UAM’s opponent is the yet-to-be-determined sixth seed. They will play at noon in the opening game of the tournament on Thursday.
