Tweet #theGAC  FORT SMITH, Arkansas – For the third-straight year, the top two seeds of the Great American Conference Men’s Basketball Championships advanced to semifinals after second-seeded Ouachita Baptist and top-seeded Oklahoma Baptist each claimed double-digit victories on Thursday from Northside Grizzlies Arena. The Tigers defeated Southwestern Oklahoma State, 74-63, and the Bison rallied in the second half for an 85-70 win against Henderson State.

The Bison (27-2) trailed the Reddies (11-18) by as many as 11 in the first half. By halftime, they cut the deficit to five, 40-35. They then scored 50-second half points to secure their win in GAC Championship play since 2021.

The Bison made 16-of-28 second-half shots, aided largely by the effort of GAC Player of the Year Terry Coner, Jr. He went 6-for-9 in the second half, on the heels of an 0-for-6 opening half. He scored 19 points and added five steals. Joshua Udoumoh netted a team-high 21 points.

Defensively, the Bison held the Reddies to 38.7 percent shooting in the second half. Henderson State went 17-for-32 in the opening 20 minutes. Zaveion Okoh paced the Reddies with 21 points. Jabari West grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds.

The Bison face the winner of Southern Nazarene and East Central at noon on Saturday. The Tigers handed the Bison their last loss of the season -91-76 on December 18 in Ada, Oklahoma.

In the day’s first contest, Ouachita (23-6) never trailed after the opening five minutes against the Bulldogs (11-18). The win forges a tie between the Tigers and Arkansas Tech for the most semifinal appearances in GAC Championship history - seven.

GAC Newcomer of the Year Devon Hancock scored 18 points leading four Tigers that reached double figures. Crew Flowers scored 15, PJ Neal added 14 and Jaxon Conley contributed 11.

Ouachita forced SWOSU into 18 turnovers. Flowers picked up six of the team’s 15 steals and four Tigers registered multiple steals The Tigers converted those chances into 20 points. Conversely, the Bulldogs mustered just six points on the 13 turnovers they forced.

The Tigers draw the winner of Harding and Southeastern Oklahoma State at 2:15 p.m.  on Saturday. The Tigers and Bisons each won on their own home courts during the regular season. Ouachita swept Southeastern with a pair of double-digit wins.