MONTICELLO, Ark. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello men's basketball team extended its early season winning streak to six games following a 106-61 victory over Jarvis Christian College. The Weevils continued to dominate offensively shooting 60.9 percent from the floor and 57.6 percent from three-point range. Wanya King and Marcus Gilbert led the way with 18 points apiece, while KJ Lesure recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 assists.
 
The Weevils had it going early on offense jumping out to a 14-2 lead before the first media timeout. Justin Slocum tallied the first bucket in the paint and shortly after King drilled a triple off an assist by Lesure. The following two UAM baskets were also threes from King distributed from Lesure.
 
UAM continued its early run making it 16-2 off a basket from Slocum and then Austin Hardy got in on the downtown action after a basket from JCB to make it a 19-4 lead.
 
The lights-out shooting never really ceased as the Weevils kept up the barrage of baskets throughout the period. In the first half, UAM shot a staggering 64.0 from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range, taking a 46-28 lead into the break.
 
The second half was more of the same for the Weevils as they continued to pour it on. They really hit their stride with a little over 14 minutes remaining in the contest when King snagged a rebound off a missed three, dished it to Lesure and he passed it back to King for another triple on the fastbreak.
 
UAM put a little icing on the cake shortly after when Hardy made it a 32-point lead after stealing the ball at the top of key and taking it all the way back for a slam dunk.
 
In the final few minutes, the Weevils got some contributions from everybody. With the lead at 99-56, Keyon Craddock got UAM to the century mark and its biggest lead of the night (46) when he drained a three to make it 102-56. After an answer-back triple on the other end and a two-pointer by the bulldogs, Cole Whiteaker hit a jumper and was fouled in the act of shooting. He would miss the free throw, but Ndiaga Diop cleaned up the glass and got the final basket of the day. The Weevils would go on to win, 106-61.
 
King and Marcus Gilbert led all scorers with 18 points apiece. Gilbert also added a team-high nine rebounds.
 
Three other UAM players were also in double-figures for points in Hardy (17), Denzel McDuffey (16) and Lesure (15).
 
Lesure finished with the double-double adding a season-high 13 assists to his stat sheet.
 
On defense, UAM held the Bulldogs to shoot under 40.0 percent from the floor at 37.3 and had 10 steals and five blocks.
 
McDuffey led the team in the blocking category with three, while Slocum contributed with two.
 
UAM extends its win streak to six games and is now 6-1 overall.
 
UP NEXT
UAM will continue its non-conference stretch when it hosts Randall University at the Steelman Field House on Wednesday at 6 p.m.