By CONNOR GRAY, Assistant Editor
Ravel Moody passes the ball during Northwestern’s game against East Central Feb. 5 at Percefull Fieldhouse. -Photos by Emma Sporleder
The Northwestern men’s basketball team split its visit in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, by getting a win over Ouachita Baptist but losing to Henderson State.
After winning last week against East Central, the team prepped for Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State.
The Rangers defeated both teams at home earlier in the season, with an 83-67 win against the Tigers and a 76-66 win against the Reddies.
The game against the Tigers was tough, as the Rangers had some consistency problems and let Ouachita back in the game.
The Rangers had extended leads against Ouachita, but the Tigers closed the gap by cutting the deficit down to one point.
The Rangers escaped with a 75-69 victory, with Ouachita Baptist unable to complete a comeback.
Malik Parsons led the team in scoring with 21 points. Anthony Jones added 18 points.
“No matter what the score was, they were never out of the game,” assistant coach Jordan Franz said. “Their record does not show how good they really are.”
The Rangers moved a mile
across Arkadelphia to play Henderson State Saturday.
The Reddies lost, 76-66, when they came to Northwestern.
The Rangers and Reddies had a back-and-forth affair, and the game went down to the wire.
Turnovers were a big issue down the stretch in the moments. Two crucial turnovers gave momentum to Henderson State, and the team hit a last-second three-pointer to win, 72-69.
“We had two bad turnovers in that final minute,” Franz said.
Larry White led the Rangers with 17 points. He was followed by Jones with 13 and Brian Free with 12.
“This road trip is always a hard one,” Franz said. “We’re fortunate to come out with a split.”
On Tuesday, the Rangers travelled to Weatherford to take on the Bulldogs.
The Rangers played a hardfought game and returned to Alva with a gritty win, 53-48.
The win was not the only thing coming back with them, as the Rangers clinched a spot in the GAC tournament for the first time since 2018. This is the third time the Rangers will appear in the GAC tournament. The Rangers are third in the GAC standings.
The Rangers’ next home game is Thursday against Arkansas Tech at 7:30 p.m.
Eric Hancik shoots the ball during Northwestern’s game against East Central on Feb. 5 at Percefull Fieldhouse. The Rangers defeated Southwestern in Weatherford on Tuesday, 53-48.