To say that there is parity in the GSC West right now is like saying there are some Republicans in the Church of Christ. Everyone knows it and deals with it, some better than others, while a few outcasts (Democrats, Muleriders/Reddies) serve as onlookers.
After Thursday’s round of GSC games, the top six teams in the West are now separated by two games in the standings and 4.3 points of net efficiency. That’s barely larger than home-court advantage, so expect to see a lot of close contests from here on out.
The Bisons’ trip to Monticello was no different, coming down to a last-second heave from Trent Morgan that fell just short of tying the game at the buzzer. The Bisons fell to 6-2, now tied atop the division with Ouachita Baptist, whose current 6-game GSC win streak is nothing short of astonishing, given the way the rest of the league is shaping up.
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Arkansas-Monticello essentially won this game by crashing the offensive boards and locking down on interior defense. The Weevils received a second chance on nearly half of their misses, making up for an otherwise lackluster shooting performance. Presumably, they were very physical on defense, racking up tons of fouls, particularly on Matt Hall and Trent Morgan.
Hall was kept in check from the field, but he managed 20 points by making 11 of his 17 free throws. Trent Morgan did an even better job capitalizing on his chances at the line, scoring 9 points on 10 free throw attempts, although he made only 2 of 8 field goals. Chris Dixon lit it up from outside, scoring 15 of his 19 from beyond the arc.
Four Weevils scored in double figures, with Ray Wright’s 12 point/12 rebound performance probably being the most impressive.
Elsewhere in the conference, road teams were the victors, with the doormats both dropping home games to CBU and ATU, while OBU came up with a big win at Delta State. With six games left, it’s likely that one deserving team will be left out of the conference tournament.
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