Alva Review-Courier -

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - Despite shooting 23 percent in the second half, the Ouachita Tigers' men's basketball team missed an opportunity to tie the game at the buzzer, falling to Southern Nazarene by a final of 61-58. It was the first loss of the season for the Tigers who stand at 2-1 and 1-1 in conference play. Jontavis Willis led the Tigers with 15 points, shooting 6-9 from the floor and 3-5 from beyond the arc.

Jordan Corbitt got the Tigers on the scoreboard in the first half, hitting a three to put Ouachita up 3-2 in the opening minutes. Southern Nazarene retook the lead ont he nest possession and led by as many as six, With just under 13 minutes left in the half, Ouachita began a 10-4 run, capped off by a three-pointer from Matthew Ward to give Ouachita an 18-17 lead. The Tigers scored six straight to lead 24-17 with 8:25 remaining.

Trailing by 10, the Crimson Storm answered with a a run of their own, scoring eight straight points. With 1:03 remaining, Ouachita was clinging to a 29-27 lead. Ouachita's Mahlon Martin sank two free throws for the half's final points and Ouachita entered halftime leading 31-27.

The Crimson Storm opened the second half with a 15-2 run. Down 42-33, the Tigers first points in the second half came off a free throw from Aitor Lopez-Breton. Willis would nail a three-pointer with 11:55 for Ouachita's first made field goal of the second half. Willis scored eight straight off three made field goals to bring the Tigers within four with 10:32 remaining. Shooting woes by Ouachita allowed Southern Nazarene to extend the lead back to nine when a jumper by Noah Starkey put them up 53-44 with 3:17 remaining.

Corbitt drilled another three to cap off a 7-0 Ouachita run, bringing the Tigers within two points. They trailed 55-53 with 50 seconds remaining in the game. After two free throws from the Crimson Storm's Micah Speight, Lakee Westbrook hit a pull-up jumper to make it 57-55 game in favor of SNU. After two more made free throws, Justin McCleary hit a three from deep in the baseline corner to pull Ouachita within one. They trailed 59-58 with 15 seconds left to play.

Jhonathan Dunn sank both of his free throws to put Southern Nazarene back up by three and they would hang on for the win after a three at the buzzer by Westbrook would miss the mark. The Tigers would fall by a final of 61-58.