FORT SMITH – Four players scored a dozen points apiece for UAFS as the Lions beat the John Brown Golden Eagles 81-62 in nonconference play on Monday night at the Stubblefield Center.
It was the second game in three days for the No. 17 Lions (5-0), who are the top-ranked team in the latest D2SIDA South Central Region Poll.
It also was the Lions’ second win against the Golden Eagles in less than a month. UAFS beat John Brown 104-71 in the “Ballin’ for a Benefit” preseason exhibition game on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Stubblefield Center.
UAFS will continue its six-game homestand on Friday and Saturday when it hosts the Hampton Inn Thanksgiving Classic at the Stubblefield Center. The two-day, four-team will feature UAFS, Nebraska-Kearney, Southeastern Oklahoma State and Missouri Western.
The Lions will play Nebraska-Kearney at 7 p.m. on Friday and Missouri Western at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
UAFS shot 54 percent from the field (33 of 61) – it was 7-of-22 shooting from 3-point range – but shot only 47 percent from the free-throw line (8 of 17). Senior guard DaVaunta Thomas, senior forward Brett Jolly, senior forward Dalton Glapion and freshman forward Adam Rivera each had 12 points.
The Lions out-rebounded the Golden Eagles by 11 rebounds (40-29). Jolly just missed a double-double, grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. He was one of four Lions with five rebounds or more.
UAFS held John Brown (4-3) to just 40-percent shooting from the field (20 of 50) – the Golden Eagles were 7-of-17 shooting from 3-point range – and John Brown shot 68 percent from the free-throw line (15 of 22).
Jaylon Rucker and Densier Carnes each had 11 points apiece to lead the Golden Eagles, who trailed by 12 points (40-28) at halftime. Carnes and Brenton Toussaint each had a team-leading five rebounds.
MEN
UAFS 81, JOHN BROWN 62
John Brown 28 34 — 62
UAFS 40 41 — 81
John Brown (4-3): Rucker 11, Carnes 11, Toussaint 8, Caudle 5, Smith 5, Jones 5, Rhodius 5, Grabliauskas 4, Bowling 3, Hart 3, Corder 2
UAFS (5-0): Jolly 12, Thomas 12, Glapion 12, Rivera 12, Elder 9, Crawford 8, Coleman 6, Toney 5, Hawley 3, Wallace 2
