WONDER BOYS BASKETBALL OPENS GSC PLAY WITH 12-POINT
HOME VICTORY OVER HENDERSON STATE

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Men’s Basketball opened up its 14-game Gulf South Conference schedule here Saturday with a 67-55 victory over Henderson State in front of a season-high 675 fans at Tucker Coliseum.

Tech, who improved to 10-4 on the season with the win, snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Reddies that dated to 1998 and also opened up GSC play with a victory for the first time since 2005.

“I thought we played well in spurts tonight,” Tech Head Coach Mark Downey said. “I was pleased with our play and I thought we did a tremendous job on the glass.”

The Wonder Boys, who failed to hit a three-point basket for the first time in 607 games dating to Jan. 21, 1988, used a 47-32 edge on the glass and 48 percent shooting from the field, including 52 percent field goal shooting in the second half to claim the victory and earn its 52nd 10-win season in the program’s history.

“I told the team that we couldn’t settle for three’s, that we needed to take the ball to the basket tonight if we wanted to win,” the second-year Tech coach. “We ran sets to get the ball inside and it worked.”

Tech opened the contest scoring the first seven points, before HSU used an 18-7 run to push in front 18-14 with 11:22 left in the first half. Following the Reddies’ run, Tech regrouped and used a 22-12 run over a span of 10 minutes to pull out to a 36-24 lead. Tech run was capped by a dunk from junior forward Troy Marcus (Bronx, NY).  

Senior guard Darren Tarver (Akron, Ohio) paced Tech’s offense with 23 points, while sophomore guard Renard Allen (New Orleans, La.) added a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds and Marcus chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds. Allen’s 16 points and 11 rebounds were career-highs.

The Wonder Boys, who led 38-28 at the half, used an 18-8 spurt over the first seven-plus minutes of the second half to push out to a 56-36 lead. The lead grew to as much as 21 points on a lay-up by Tarver with 6:24 left in the game, before the Reddies closed the game outscoring Tech, 15-6 to make the final margin.

“I thought we did a good job on defense,” the Tech coach said. “We held them to 38 percent shooting for the game and limited its three-point shooting. I wasn’t pleased with our 17 turnovers and our nine assists on 30 baskets.”

HSU, who fell to 2-11 with the loss, was led by Jerome Wilson’s 18 points off the bench, while Antoine Vinson added 15 points and James Williams had 14 points in the loss.

          The Reddies finished the game shooting 38 percent from the field and 18 percent (3-for-17) from the 3-point line, but was 12-for-12 at the foul line. Meanwhile, Tech was 0-for-6 from the 3-point line, but shot 63 percent (17-for-27) from the free throw line.

          Tech will return to action on Thursday, Jan. 17, when they host Christian Brothers in a 7:30 p.m. contest at Tucker Coliseum. The Bucs opened GSC play with a 76-48 home win Saturday over Southern Arkansas.

“We need to take care of our home court in league play,” Downey added.

         Henderson State Box Score

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