Saturday afternoon at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center in Magnolia belonged to the Brooks brothers.
Devante Brooks scored a career-high 26 points and his younger brother Jalen Brooks had 20 points to lead Southern Arkansas University to an 83-63 Great American Conference victory over Arkansas Tech University.
The Muleriders (4-5 overall, 2-2 GAC) held the Wonder Boys to 2-of-16 shooting from 3-point range and forced Arkansas Tech into a season-high 26 turnovers.
“We got out-toughed,” said Chad Kline, ATU head coach. “We’re not going to beat anyone turning the ball over 26 times. Credit SAU. They had their ears pinned back from the start, and when you aren’t making any perimeter shots, they clog the paint defensively and you start pressing offensively. Their pressure sped us up.”
Southern Arkansas led by as many as 10 points in the first half. Six points in the final 66 seconds of the period by ATU’s Devante Foster kept the Wonder Boys within striking distance, but an Aaron Lucas 3-pointer on the final shot of the half pushed SAU’s margin to 33-25.
Arkansas Tech stayed closed by making five of its first eight field goal attempts to begin the second half.
The Muleriders pulled away for good with an 8-0 run over a span of 2:13. When that decisive spurt was complete, SAU held a 58-42 edge with 10:01 to play. The margin remained 12 points or greater the rest of the afternoon.
Foster led the Wonder Boys with 13 points and five rebounds. R.J. Glasper added 12 points and six assists. Glasper became the 10th ATU men’s basketball player to reach 300 career assists.
Albert Odero and Dillon Gooding contributed 10 points apiece for Arkansas Tech, which saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.
The Wonder Boys (6-3, 2-2) will visit the nationally-ranked Missouri Southern State University Lions for a 1 p.m. non-conference contest in Joplin, Mo., on Saturday, Dec. 21.
Radio station KCJC 102.3 FM and www.arkansastechsports.com will provide live coverage.
