Nothing is more admirable than the ability to pull oneself back up after a fall.
The basketball programs at Arkansas Tech University are in the process of demonstrating that quality.
As a result, midway through the Great American Conference portion of their 2025-26 schedules, the Golden Suns (13-2 overall, 9-2 GAC) are on their longest winning streak in five years and the Wonder Boys (7-10, 5-6) are on their longest winning streak in almost two years.
Arkansas Tech will look to continue its recent form this week during a road trip to Southwestern Oklahoma State University (5:30 and 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 29) and Northwestern Oklahoma State University (1 and 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 31).
Live coverage of all four games will be provided by KCJC 102.3 FM, the River Country KCJC website and www.arkansastechsports.com.
The Wonder Boys’ resurgence was sparked by a buzzer-beating 62-61 win over East Central University on Jan. 15. They stacked victories over Southeastern Oklahoma State University (77-62 on Jan. 17) and Harding University (64-56 on Jan. 22) and have moved into a tie for fifth place in the GAC men’s basketball standings.
All of this comes after a six-game losing streak from mid-December to mid-January for ATU’s men. Five of those losses were by seven points or less, but everything has been different since David Elliott IV’s 3-pointer went in at the horn on Jan. 15 to beat the ECU Tigers.
The Wonder Boys’ newfound resilience was on full display last Thursday when they overcame a 13-point, first-half deficit in their win over Harding.
“We just had to somehow stop the momentum,” said Mark Downey, ATU head men’s basketball coach. “Our team needed a shot like that…in the East Central game…to feel good about themselves. To get three in a row like that…(Harding) is the first top of the conference team we’ve beaten. I thought (Harding) was playing as well as anybody in the conference, so that’s a really good win against a really good basketball team and a well-coached basketball team. We just keep fighting one day at a time.”
The rise from a fall for the Golden Suns goes back even further and has been even greater.
After winning seven games during the 2024-25 season, Arkansas Tech’s women have already almost doubled that total in 2025-26 and are back in their familiar position atop the conference standings.
The Suns’ will to fight is further demonstrated by these facts: so far this season, they have overcome a deficit of 10 points or more to win on four occasions and they have earned six wins after trailing or being tied in the fourth quarter.
The Golden Suns head to the Sooner State this week tied with Northwestern Oklahoma State (14-3, 9-2) for first place in GAC women’s basketball. Those two teams will meet in Alva on Saturday, but ATU’s women must first deal with the SWOSU Lady Bulldogs (6-10, 4-7) on Thursday night.
The ATU-SWOSU women’s game will feature two of the top newcomers in the GAC.
Arkansas Tech’s Logan Young ranks among the league leaders in scoring (5th, 17.2 points per game), field goal percentage (2nd, 56 percent) and blocked shots (6th, 1.1 per game) as a freshman.
SWOSU’s Landry Allen (14.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.3 blocked shots and 2.1 steals per game) is a dominant force on both ends of the floor for the Lady Bulldogs. She is a junior transfer from the University of Oklahoma, where she appeared in 46 games over the last two seasons.
“We are getting better,” said Dave Wilbers, ATU head women’s basketball coach, after the Golden Suns overcame a 16-point, first-half deficit to post their seventh consecutive victory with an 84-69 win over Harding last Thursday. “A lot of it is we’re pushing them in practice every day, and they’re doing a good job with our scouting reports, too. They’re doing a good job listening, and they’re also coming in here ready every day.”
Talk to you on the radio.
Tech Tidbits is a column written by Sam Strasner, ATU director of university relations and radio play-by-play voice for ATU football and basketball.
