Box Score
Curtis Davis and Chris Beck helped seal a 69-66 victory over the University of the Ozarks Saturday at Kimbrell Arena, snapping a six-game losing skid and a three-game losing streak. More importantly, McMurry got back on track in American Southwest Conference competition with its first league win of the season.
Davis scored a McMurry season high 27 points including 21 second-half points. The Ozarks led 66-64 with 2:33 remaining but Davis blocked a Tony Brock jump shot, Beck rebounded and found Davis streaking the floor and laid it in to tie the score at 66 with 1:02 remaining.
On the ensuing possession, Davis stole a pass from Clint McHenry and was fouled on his way to the bucket. Davis made one of two free-throw attempts to give McMurry its first lead since the eight-minute mark. He later missed a fast-break lay-up, but it wouldn't matter because Habeeb Kareem missed a jumper with 11 seconds left and Beck was fouled on his defensive rebound.
Beck sunk both free throws with 10 seconds remaining and the Ozarks had to drive and hit a 3-pointer to force overtime. However, Andre Williams missed the trey and Beck got the game-sealing rebound with 0.3 seconds remaining.
The Ozarks led by five at the half 33-28 and built an eight-point lead early in the second half. However, after the Eagles' 38-30 lead, McMurry fought back. Beck gave McMurry its first lead of the second half with a bucket on an assist from Robert Moreno. From there the lead changed 11 times until Davis and Beck were able to put the game away at the end.
For Beck, it was his first career double-double at 16 points and 12 rebounds; he was also a perfect 8 for 8 from the free-throw line. Davis, who had scored a career high 16 points against NCAA Division I UT-San Antonio Dec. 28, was 10 of 17 from the floor and 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. Davis also led the team with four steals.
Kareem was the only player in double figures with 12 points. The Eagles managed just a 37.2 percent shooting effort from the floor. The team also shot just 4 of 20 from beyond the 3-point line.
McMurry finished at 40 percent for the game from the floor. However, after shooting 30 percent in the first half, the home team hit 15 of 30 shots from the floor in the second half and four of its six 3-pointers.
The Ozarks fell to 5-5 overall and 2-4 in conference play while McMurry moved to 4-6 and 1-5 in league play.
McMurry will look to build momentum from the win on next week's road trip where it will face UT-Tyler Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and UT-Dallas Saturday at 3 p.m.
