Arkansas Tech took over sole possession of first place in the Great American Conference men’s basketball standings at Tucker Coliseum on Saturday night, and the Wonder Boys did it in dominating fashion.
A 17-1 run midway through the second half sent nationally 20th-ranked Arkansas Tech to a 91-67 victory over Henderson State in a match-up of teams that entered the day tied for the GAC lead.
The Wonder Boys (19-4 overall, 11-2 GAC) received a career-high 26 points from Jared Williamson, who was 6-of-8 from the field and 13-of-15 at the free throw line.
“Jared just keeps on bringing it,” said Arkansas Tech head coach Doug Karleskint. “They couldn’t stay in front of him.”
Williamson sparked the Wonder Boys’ decisive run with a layup at the 12:38 mark of the second half. By the time Matt Haney capped the surge with a layup at the 8:30 mark, Arkansas Tech owned a 70-50 lead.
“It started in a timeout,” said Karleskint when asked about the 17-1 run. “We talked about how this was a time when we could come apart. There was some frustration. But from then on, we went on a tear. This was a good team win.”
The Wonder Boys held Henderson State without a made field goal for a span of more than five minutes during the middle of the second half.
It was part of a defensive effort that also saw Arkansas Tech hold HSU leading scorer Denzel Lyles to seven points. Lyles had scored 31 points for the Reddies in their 97-94 win over the Wonder Boys on Jan. 21. Tech has now won eight consecutive games since that loss in Arkadelphia.
The Wonder Boys had just 10 turnovers on Saturday, compared to 19 for the Reddies. Tech held HSU to 38 percent (23-of-61) shooting from the field.
Johnie Davis notched 13 points and Haney finished with 12 points for Arkansas Tech. Will Paul and Jeremy Hoard added 10 points apiece. Tech’s Mykel Cleveland had eight points, six rebounds, six assists and no turnovers.
Josh French led Henderson State (15-8, 10-3) with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The Wonder Boys will visit Harding University for a 7:30 p.m. GAC game at Rhodes Field House in Searcy on Monday, Feb. 20.
Radio station KWKK 100.9 FM will broadcast the game.
Click here to access an Internet stream of the broadcast.
Click here to learn more about Arkansas Tech men’s basketball.
]]>
