ALVA, Okla. – Despite a tie ballgame at halftime, the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys handed the Rangers their first loss in four games. After dropping the contest 98-85, Northwestern falls to 8-9 (4-8 GAC) on the year.

Coming off three straight victories, the Rangers jumped out to a 12-9 lead over the visiting Wonder Boys, after quick starts from seniors Adrian Motley and Austin Klug.

Arkansas Tech hit three consecutive three pointers midway through the first half in the midst of a 10-4 run that allowed the Wonder Boys to tie the game. Tech shooters Grant Prusator and Justin Graham each displayed their ability to drain the deep ball, sinking a combined seven treys in the opening frame. A six point Tech lead was quickly erased by four quick buckets by the Rangers in a back and forth first half.

Both teams shot exceptionally well in the opening frame, with the Rangers connecting on 58.3% of shots from the field. The Wonder Boys were hot from beyond the arc, hitting 11 of 19.
Northwestern and Arkansas Tech were deadlocked at 47-47 heading into the intermission, each team with two scorers in double digits.

But the second half was a completely different story.

Arkansas Tech came out of the break firing, going on an 8-0 run forcing Shawn Dirden to call a timeout just two minutes into the half. That run would extend to 16-2 to give the Wonder Boys a 63-49 lead at the 15:46 mark of the second half.
Senior Wonder Boys guard Graham continued to dominate from the floor, dropping 24 points on the night. The Rangers were able to keep 6'7" Canadian native Bennie Lufile off the board until midway through the second half, when he hit one of his two free throws after being fouled by Trey Johnson.

Finding themselves down by 14 with less than 12 minutes to play, the Rangers began to energize the crowd. A missed dunk by Tech's Montrell Williams ended in Motley running the length of the floor and slamming home one of his own. Shortly after that, Hunter Frisby ignited his bench with a long three pointer, and Northwestern trailed by 13 midway through the half.

In what was an initially an entertaining contest, the powerful Tech offense proved to be too much. The Wonder Boys finished the night with five different players in double digits, including 19 from Williams and 17 from Trevin Woods. Head coach Chad Kline apparently found an answer for Great American Conference Player of the Week Cody Halvorson, who was held to just seven points.

Thanks to a 10-2 Ranger run, Northwestern managed to cut the lead to just seven, but a three pointer from Mason Cline restored a ten point Tech advantage. The Wonder Boys were able to stave off any hint of a potential comeback, maintaining a comfortable lead for much of the second half.

With 3:02 to play, a hard foul by Motley on Lufile resulted in a scrum beneath the basket. After the dust settled, officials ejected Lufile as well as Brandon Green, who left the bench (resulting in an automatic ejection). When play resumed, Halvorson and Prusator each took free throws for the technical fouls assessed during the scuffle, and the Rangers showed signs of life.

Halvorson managed to find his stroke late, hitting a quick three over two defenders to cut the lead to 11. Motley continued to put up excellent numbers in the loss, posting 26 points, and eight rebounds.

Up Next
The Rangers will use a day off to regroup, with their sights set on Harding who comes into Percefull Fieldhouse on Saturday, January 28. The Bisons (11-5, 8-4 GAC) are coming off an 83-76 win over SWOSU. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m.
 
For the latest information and updates on Ranger Basketball, follow @NWOSUAthletics on Twitter or go to www.riderangersride.com.
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