ARKADELPHIA- Despite a valiant effort down the stretch from Ouachita Baptist, it was North Alabama who converted on shots down the stretch, defeating the Tigers, 69-62, in a Gulf South Conference Crossover match up in Bill Vining Arena on Friday.
Ouachita (0-2) shot 46 percent on the night, compared to just 36 percent for North Alabama (2-2), but the Lions pulled a 42-27 advantage in rebounding and converted on 18 free-throws.
The Tigers pulled within 64-62 when sophomore Nigel Ramsey converted on a three-pointer and sophomore Olden Jordan added a free-throw with just 1:03 remaining. North Alabama closed it out, however, with three free-throws from Nick Luttrell and a pair from Trent McCants to finish on a 7-0 run.
Sophomore Austin Mitchell recorded a team-high 18 points on the night, going 6-of-10 overall, including 4-of-6 on three-pointers with five rebounds and six assists. Junior teammate Emmanuel Engulu added 15 points and five rebounds, while senior Scott Day scored eight points and four rebounds after battling foul trouble for most of the evening.
It was a strong night for the North Alabama duo of Beaumont Beasley and Marcus Landry, as both players combined for 39 points, with Beasley scoring a game-high 23. Landry added a game-high 16 rebounds.
In the first half, it was a closely contest match up, as North Alabama held a slim advantage at 31-29. The Tigers shot 38 percent, while holding North Alabama to just 32 percent from the court. Sophomore Austin Mitchell led all players with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-3 on three-point attempts.
Ouachita jumped out to a 20-13 lead with 9:34 remaining in the first half, as junior Emmanuel Engulu connected on a three-pointer and sophomore Olden Jordan added a free-throw. It was free-throw shooting that haunted the Tigers early on, as Ouachita shot just 36 percent on 4-of-11 attempts.
The Tigers return to Bill Vining Arena for a non-conference match up with Baptist Bible at 7 p.m. on Nov. 23.
