Trailing 13-12, the Tigers (22-7) scored 16 of the next 18 points to seize control of the contest. During that span, the Rangers (14-15) made just 1-of-9 field goal tries and committed three turnovers. The Tigers punctuated the spurt with steals leading to dunks on consecutive possessions from Reggie Martin.
The Tigers closed the half up 43-28. They shot 57.1 percent from the floor and converted nine Ranger turnovers into 10 points. Ouachita never saw its lead dip back into single digits for the duration of the contest. A closing 7-0 run allowed the Tigers to match their largest margin of victory ever in a GAC Championship game. They defeated Southeastern Oklahoma State, 85-65, in the quarterfinals of the 2012 event.
Four Tigers reached double figures in scoring. Shaun Williams went 7-for-12 from the floor and scored a team-high 19 points. Martin added 17; PJ Neal and Devyn Franklin each scored 11. Franklin pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds. Hobert Grayson, who on Wednesday earned GAC Player, Defensive Player and Newcomer of the Year, struggled in his first GAC Championship game. He scored a season-low nine points on 3-of-10 shooting and collected five rebounds, just the second time all year he tallied less than six.
Northwestern’s tandem of Camron McDowell and Max Alexander combined for 42 points. McDowell, a First-Team and the nation’s second-leading scorer, accounted for 27. He added three steals. Alexander netted 15.
Ouachita advances to the semifinals for only the second time in the last eight years. The Tigers last reached the final in 2016 when they claimed their second title. They face the winner of Harding and Southwestern Oklahoma State at 8 p.m. on Saturday. Ouachita Baptist split its regular-season meetings with both potential opponents.
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