It was the third time this season that the Wonder Boys scored 100 points in the game and the first time since scoring 114 points in its last home game on Nov. 22 over Ecclesia.
“This was an important victory after our heartbreaking loss on Monday at West Georgia,” Wonder Boys Head Coach Doug Karleskint said. “Not only was I bitter, but our entire team was bitter. We practiced hard all week and came out strong tonight.”
The Wonder Boys, who played all 12 players on its bench in the win, kicked off the evening with a quick jumper by senior guard Willie Sanders (Jacksonville, Fla.) and a layup by junior guard Johnie Davis (Canton, Ohio) to push out to a 4-0 lead just 72 seconds into the game. Davis led the way offensively in Friday’s game with a career-high 23 points and Sanders added 17 points.
“Willie and Johnie are starting to stand out as their chemistry continues to grow on the court together,” said Karleskint. “Both players are high energy guys that feed off of each other.”
Tech, who is ranked 21st in this week’s NABC/Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, kept the pace up as they never allowed the Eagles (2-5 on the season) to come within 10 points after a free throw by SCU’s Riemond Prince with 8:20 left in the first half. Following Prince’s free throw, the Wonder Boys used a 15-8 run to push its lead to 45-28 following a lay-up by Sanders with 3:29 left before halftime.
The Wonder Boys capped the first half with a three-pointer from senior forward Ridas Pulkauninkas (Ukmerge, Lithuania) right before buzzer to take a 52-33 halftime lead.
Tech opened the second half on a 23-8 run capped by two free throws by sophomore forward Jared Williamson (Russellville, Ark.) to push out to a 75-41 lead with 12:25 left in the game. Following Tech’s run, SCU used a 14-7 run to pull within 82-55 with 8:09 left in the contest.
From that point, the Wonder Boys used a 15-5 run keyed by four consecutive lay-ups and capped by a dunk from junior forward Blake Mitchem (Fort Smith, Ark.) with 3:43 remaining. Tech hit the century mark on a three-pointer by sophomore guard Chase White (Fort Smith, Ark.) with 1:28 left in the contest.
Along with Davis and Sanders, senior guard Jeremy Dunbar (Niceville, Fla.) added 10 points, while Mitchem, Williamson and senior guard Laithe Massey (Heber Springs, Ark.) each scored nine points in the win. In addition to his nine points, Mitchem added seven rebounds, while senior center James Giles (New Brunswick, N.J.) had eight boards as Tech held a 36-35 edge on the glass for the game.
Friday’s game was plagued with fouls as the two teams combined to commit 54 fouls and shoot a combined 70 free throws, including 37 free throws after halftime. SCU finished the game shooting 78 percent (36-for-46) from the line, while Tech shot 96 percent (23-for-24) from the line in the win.
Josh Gamblin led the Eagles with 14 points off the bench, while Ray Hilliard added 13 points, including going 8-for-12 at the foul line and Zach Bryant scored 12 points, all of which came in the second half. Prince finished with 11 points and seven boards for the Eagles.
Tech finished the game shooting 50 percent from the field and 25 percent (7-for-28) from the 3-point line, while SCU shot 34 percent from the floor and 43 percent from downtown. In addition, Tech dished out 21 assists and collected 16 steals as SCU committed 29 turnovers on the night.
The Wonder Boys will now take eight days off for final exams before traveling to Jackson, Tenn., to take on Lambuth in a 4 p.m. non-conference game. Tech picked up an 87-65 win over the Eagles in Russellville on Nov. 20.
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