A big deficit late in the first half did nothing to faze the University of Arkansas at Monticello men’s basketball team two nights before Thanksgiving.
The Boll Weevils stormed back for a 75-69 win over former Gulf South Conference rival Delta State University on Tuesday at Steelman Field House in Monticello.
UAM (3-2) is unbeaten through three games of its seven-game homestand amid ongoing improvements to Steelman. Jakob Zenon finished with six 3-point baskets, and the Boll Weevils shot 69.2% in the second half to overcome a 40-24 first half deficit.
UAM went 18 for 26 from the floor in the final 20 minutes, doubling its made shots in the first half and finishing 27 of 53 for 50.9%. Zenon, who was 6 for 10 from the arc, accounted for all of the Weevils’ made threes (6 for 14) while adding four assists in 40 minutes of action.
Isaac Jackson led the Weevils with 21 points. Jackson was 8 for 14 from the floor, making 6 of his last 7 attempts, and totaled five rebounds and four assists.
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Ashton Price scored 14 points, and Josh Smith had 12 for the Weevils.
UAM scored the last 3 points of the first half to pull within 40-29 but had a hard time cooling off the Statesmen (2-2) from the floor in the period. Delta State started 14 for 27 from the floor only to end up 25 for 55 (45.5%), including 11 for 34 from 3-point range, and made 8 of 11 free throws. UAM converted 15 of 19 free throws.
The Statesmen had led for 34.5 minutes until Zenon drained a 3 with 4:30 left to give the Weevils a 66-65 lead. Je’Marion Westbrook scored on a layup with 1:02 left to pull the Statesmen within 72-69, and after Bryce Clayton’s 3-point shot to tie fell way short, UAM made 3 of 4 free throws in the final 31 seconds to seal the win.
Clayton scored 18 points to lead the Statesmen. All of his field goal attempts (6 for 13) were from 3-point range.
Elisha Puckett scored 17 points and Samuel Whitmer had 14 for Delta State.
UAM’s homestand will continue at 3 p.m. Saturday against Ecclesia College in the Weevils’ non-conference finale. Great American Conference play for UAM will begin Dec. 4 against Oklahoma Baptist University.
WOMEN: UAM 59, Mississippi College 50
In Clinton, Miss., UAM ended its two-game swing through the Magnolia State with a 9-point win over the Choctaws.
Alyssa Batton went 9 for 9 at the foul line and led UAM (5-1) with 18 points in 22 minutes. Alindsey Long threw in 15 points, making 6 of 12 from the floor, and Brilynn Findley totaled 7 points and 8 rebounds for the Cotton Blossoms.
UAM rebounded from its first loss of the season Saturday at Delta State in Cleveland and never trailed the Choctaws (1-4), leading 24-20 at halftime.
Nia Coleman was Mississippi College’s only double-digit scorer with 15 points. The Choctaws’ bench accounted for 34 points.
Defensively, UAM held Mississippi College to 3-for-22 (13.6%) 3-point shooting and 19-for-62 (30.6%) shooting from the floor. The Choctaws did not help their cause at the foul line either, making just 9 of 22.
The Blossoms made 20 of 52 (38.5%) from the floor, including 6 of 13 from the arc, and went 13 for 17 in free throws. Long hit 3 of 4 from the arc.
UAM will begin Great American play at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 4 against Oklahoma Baptist. The men’s game will follow.