Staff Reports
Conway – Looking to begin American Midwest Conference play with two straight wins, Central Baptist College (5-2, 2-0 AMC) led for much of the contest in cruising to a 95-72 win over Lindenwood-Belleville (0-5, 0-2 AMC).
Six Mustangs finished in double-figures in scoring. Darius Polley, Simon Okolue, and Quentre Roberts were the co-leading scorers with 15 each while Darius Williams added 14, LaTron Thomas had 12 and Tyrone Alston had a double-double with 10 points and a team-high 12 assists with eight assists as well. CBC outshot the Lynx 58 percent to 40 percent from the field, 39 percent to 27 percent from three and 77 percent to 41 percent at the free throw line. The Mustangs also outrebounded LU-B 48-27, but turned it over 27 times compared to forcing just 20.
Lindenwood-Belleville led for the first 12:31 until a basket from Williams gave CBC a 16-15 lead. A Polley field goal made it 18-15, but the Lynx tied it up at 18 and retook the lead. With LU-B up 23-22, a Roberts three put CBC up 25-23 with 4:12 left in the half and the Mustangs cruised from there, closing the half on a 13-6 run to lead 38-29 at the break.
A field goal from Okolue stretched the lead to 11 but the lead would go under double digits until another Roberts three made it 55-43. The lead never went below double figures again as they finished off the win.
Next up for the Mustangs is an exhibition game against Arkansas-Monticello on Tuesday night in Monticello. Tip-off for the game is at 7 p.m.
CBC WOMEN LOSE TO LINDENWOOD-BELLEVILLE
The Central Baptist College women’s team had a 41-38 halftime lead, but a cold shooting fourth quarter coupled with a hot Lynx (4-2, 1-1 AMC) shooting team in the final quarter doomed the Mustangs in an 80-66 defeat.
Holly Allen led the way with 20 points, Kory Westerman had 15 points and Sierra Carrier had her second career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. The Mustangs won the turnover battle, committing just 12 to forcing 14 and CBC also won the battle on the boards, grabbing 37 rebounds, including 25 offensively, compared to 33 for the Lynx and shot 83 percent (20-24) at the free throw line.
Carrier opened the scoring with a pair of free throws at the 8:09 mark in the first quarter, but the Lynx grabbed the lead at 9-6 with 5:30 left in the quarter and led after one 20-15, shooting 57 percent in the quarter. CBC would swing the momentum in their favor in quarter number two
The Mustangs forced a turnover 11 seconds into the quarter and Westerman made a layup at 9:09 to cut the lead to three, 20-17. After the Lynx stretched the lead to eight, CBC began to chip away, tying the game at 27 on an Aaliyah Cash free throw with 4:52 left and then took the lead for the first time on the subsequent free throw. The lead would change hands three more times. Tied at 38, Allen hit a three at the buzzer of the first half to give the Lady Mustangs a 41-38 lead at the break.
The Lady Mustangs would stretch the lead to nine, 49-40, with 5:34 left before LU-Belleville would chip away, going on a 15-4 run to lead 55-53 with 17 seconds left in the quarter. Allen would tie the game with a buzzer beating two and tie the game at 55 heading to the final quarter.
Lindenwood-Belleville made two straight three pointers to open the quarter and lead 61-55 with 8:02 left. A pair of Alaina Ellis free throws would cut the LU-B lead to 64-62 with 4:52 left. However, the Lynx would close on a 16-2 run to put the game away.
Next up for the Lady Mustangs (4-1, 1-1 AMC) is an exhibition game on Tuesday night in Arkadelphia against Ouachita Baptist.
Faulkner County Focus Sports 