By MEGAN MAHARRY
Sports Reporter
The Ranger men’s basketball team played on the road in Arkansas against opponents the University of Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Arkansas University. The men claimed victory in both games.
The game against Arkansas-Monticello was on edge until the final buzzer. The Rangers held on to win the thriller 69-68.
The Rangers took an early lead, running their score up to as many as 12 points in the second half. Arkansas-Monticello worked to get within single digits late in the second half.
After a back and forth battle, the score was only separated by a point in advantage of the Rangers with seconds remaining.
Arkansas-Monticello had one last chance to take the win, but a missed jumper at the buzzer gave the Rangers the win.
Five Ranger men had double-digit scores on the game. The team shot 48 percent from the field, 25-of-52 shots made.
Senior Cody Halverson led with 13 points. Greg Minor Jr., A’keem Oglesby and Treyvon Andres all recorded 11 points.
The Rangers turned around to claim another victory on Saturday over Southern Arkansas, 65-63. The men are now on a four-game winning streak.
The Rangers found themselves behind by 11 in the first half, but battled back with an 27-5 run throughout the game shifted the momentum in their favor.
The Rangers went 11-for-12 and grabbed four steals in the beginning of the second half.
The Rangers took their own 11-point lead before Southern Arkansas fought back to make the game close in the narrowing minutes. A late Ranger three-pointer boosted their lead.
Southern Arkansas’s last effort was a jumper to send the game into overtime, but it was quickly shut down as Andres swatted the ball away for a block.
The Rangers shot 52 percent from the field. Andres led the offense with 18 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Minor Jr. recorded 12 points in the contest.
Brandon Green had three steals in the game, which put his season total at 36 steals, earning him fifth place in the GAC.
The Rangers currently sit ranked second in the conference, and travel to Oklahoma Baptist University next to take on the Bison.