Clarksville, Ark.-The Eagles picked up a win against Louisiana College in American Southwest Conference action Thursday night. The win set up an important East Division showdown with Mississippi College on Saturday in Clarksville.
The Eagles (11-6, 4-1) used a 17-5 run in the first five minutes of the second half to out last the Wildcats, 101-89, and move into a first place tie with Mississippi College in the ASC East Division. Junior guard Mandrell Howell nailed two shots and senior guard Ricky Johnson swished a three-pointer to give the Eagles a 58-47 lead at the 16:09 mark of the second half. The Eagles pushed the lead to 69-51 on another Johnson three-pointer with 13:04 left to play. Ten different players scored for Ozarks with Howell leading the way with 21 points. Howell shot 78 percent (11-of-14) from the free throw line and had seven assists to lead the Eagles. Johnson had 19 points and hit all four of his three-point attempts. Michael Bollman recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. "The veterans on our are the team leaders and we expect them to play big in big conference games," said head coach Matt O’Connor. "They are a big part of our offensive game and they proved that tonight," Five different freshmen scored against the Wildcats which gave the Eagles an added offensive lift. "Now that our freshmen are seventeen games into the season, they are playing with more composure and making better decisions. They have the ability to score if they will continue to stay within themselves. They will be able to provide some offense."
Topics: Athletics