ARKADELPHIA- Playing in their second overtime game in as many days, the Tigers ran out of energy in the extra period, falling to Delta State, 86-78, at Bill Vining Arena on Monday. Check out highlights from the game in the slideshow below.
Just as Ouachita (8-14, 3-7 GSC West) was coming off a double overtime 83-80 victory over Southern Arkansas on Saturday, the Tigers couldn’t stay up with Delta State (12-11, 6-4 GSC West) in the extra period, being outscored 14-6.
Ouachita shot 42 percent in the game and were tied with the Statesmen, 72-72, at the end of regulation. In the overtime period, the Tigers quickly jumped out from on a jumper from sophomore Olden Jordan with 4:42 left, but a pair of free-throws and a three-pointer from Delta State’s Phil Turner turned the momentum around for good. Turner scored 10 of the team’s 14 points in the period, and finished with a game-high 29 points and 13 rebounds.
As most coaches will say, hitting free-throws and making trips to the line will win games for teams down the stretch. Such was the case on Monday, as Delta State racked up a 24-for-28 night, as Ouachita managed just 8-for-13 at the charity stripe.
It was a game where each team matched the other shot-for-shot, until Turner’s efforts put the game away in overtime. In fact, it was tied at 33-33 at half, as well. Only a minor difference in shooting percentage separated the teams, as Delta State shot 42.9 percent compared to 42.6 for Ouachita. The Tigers committed 11 turnovers to 10 for the Statesmen. Rebounding provided a disparity, with Delta State holding the 46-35 advantage overall.
Sophomore Julian LaDay matched a season-high individual total at 16 points for Ouachita, including four steals, while sophomore Austin Mitchell finished with 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting and six rebounds. Senior Scott Day recorded a game-high eight rebounds and added 12 points, while Olden Jordan (11 points) and sophomore Nigel Ramsey (game-high eight assists and 10 points) gave Ouachita five scorers in double-figures.
For Delta State, Marqueys Brown added 15 points to Turner’s 29, as the Statesmen moved back to a game above .500 with the win.
Ouachita will visit Memphis on Thursday to face Christian Brothers beginning at 7 p.m.
Alan Greenwood
Sports Information Director
Ouachita Baptist University
