OTTAWA, Kan. — Despite leading by as many as 10 in the first half and a strong night offensively, the Ottawa University men's basketball team came up short in a 76–71 loss to Evangel University on Wednesday night inside Wilson Field House.
First Half
Ottawa struck quickly from deep, with
Micah Willis opening the scoring and
Jackson Harding following with another triple to take an early 6–3 lead. The Braves built momentum midway through the half, using an 11–2 stretch sparked by buckets from
Kuol Reech,
Jackson Esary, and
Rich Martelly to go up 26–16 at the 7:08 mark.
Evangel responded with pressure and transition scoring, closing the half on a 15–7 run fueled by Garrett Davault and Akarius Staten-Balla.
Landyn Tyler scored inside with :27 remaining to keep the Braves in front, and Ottawa took a 33–31 lead into halftime.
Second Half
Evangel tied the game immediately and the teams traded blows through the early minutes. Reech knocked down a three to put OU ahead 36–33, but the Valor answered with an 11–2 run, taking a 50–46 advantage with 11:56 left.
Ottawa battled back with plays inside from Esary, Mason, and Tyler, and Martelly pulled the Braves within 60–65 after a steal-to-score sequence at 5:54. However, Evangel stretched the lead back to nine behind Luke Foster and Drew McMillin.
The Braves mounted one last push. Tyler scored with :36 left to cut the deficit to 72–71 after a defensive stop and steal by Martelly. But Evangel converted free throws in the closing seconds and came up with a pair of defensive rebounds to secure the win.
Ottawa Leaders
Team Notes
- Ottawa shot 49.1% from the field (26–53) and 77.8% from the line.
- The Braves scored 26 points in the paint, 10 fast-break points, and 21 off the bench.
- OU led for over 20 minutes and held a 10-point first-half advantage.
Who is Next
Ottawa (7-4, 4-2) returns to the court on Saturday, Dec. 10 in Wilson Field House against Sterling College. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m.
