Clarksville, Ark.-Tony Daniels scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to rally Ozarks to a 66-63 win over Schreiner University in American Southwest Conference play Thursday.
The Eagles (6-6, 4-3) trailed 40-29 at the half as they struggled to get anything going offensively. The Eagles shot 40 percent from the floor, but Schreiner (1-10, 1-6) hit nearly 60 percent of their shots to keep Ozarks from gaining any momentum. Schreiner held a 17-7 lead at the 12:52 mark, but a Colby Woolverton three put the Eagles within striking distance. Another three, this time by Jerard McGinty, cut it to 22-17. However, the Mountaineers fought back to build a double-digit halftime advantage.
The second half was a much different story as Daniels took over. He scored 14 second half points and grabbed six rebounds. Daniels opened the half with a layup and then made another shot at the 7:47 mark to get Ozarks within 55-54. Ozarks quickly forced a turnover and the Eagles capitalized on the mistake with a Jeremy Clark basket. Schreiner answered back, but Daniels again came through with a bucket to put Ozarks ahead for good. Things got interesting in the end, as Schreiner made it a one-point game with a minute left. However, Clark hit a pair of clutch free throws to give Ozarks some breathing room.
Chris Williams controlled the paint by collecting another double-double. He finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Clark ended with 14 points.
Ozarks will host Texas Lutheran University this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. The game can be heard locally on KXIO 106.9 and on the web at www.kxio.nu.
Game Notes:
-Tony Daniels is averaging nearly 20 points per game in the last four contests. He has reached double figures in scoring in all but two games this season.
-Chris Williams has been a force down low for Ozarks the last five games. He has recorded four double-doubles and is averaging 16.8 points and 11.6 rebounds per game during that span.
-Jeremy Clark has been the Eagles most consistent scorer thus far. He has reached double figures in all 12 games. Clark has been especially dangerous from the three-point line, where he is hitting 35 percent of his shots.
Topics: Athletics