WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. – The William Woods University men's basketball team was defeated 92-91 in overtime by Williams Baptist College in an offensive slugfest. Both teams shot over 54 percent from the floor.  
 
Williams Baptist shot 44 percent on three pointers as they hit 16 threes as a team. The Owls were led by 27 points by DaShaun Stark. Darrien Dickey followed with a career-high 26 points. Stark recorded a double-double in the loss. WWU shot 59.7 percent from the floor.
 
The Owls return to action on Saturday, December 16th when they travel to Henderson, Tennessee to face Freed-Hardeman University. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
 
Game Flow
In a back and forth battle over the first 20 minutes of action neither team wanted to grab control of the lead as a three-pointer by Anthony Briheam put the Eagles ahead, 8-6, over the Owls, with 17:12 left in the half. WWU rebounded and a jumper by DaShaun Stark in the paint tied the game at 11-11.
 
William Woods took a three-point lead, 16-13, after a three by Stark with 14:24 left in the first half. The lead did not last long as Williams Baptist responded and took the lead at 20-18 after a Dominique Dyers three.
 
The game stayed within a possession for the remainder of the half until the Eagles took a five-point lead, 38-33, after a three by Dyes. WWU closed out the first half on a 7-1 run taking a 40-39 lead into halftime. Stark scored the final bucket of the half on a runner in the lane as the clock expired.
 
WWU came out and took an early four-point lead, 48-44, in the second half after a three by Brian Enriquez. Each time the Owls pulled ahead by four, the Eagles trimmed the lead down to one. With a 50-49 lead, WWU scored the next four points on jumpers by Brandon Vice and Stark putting the Owls ahead by five, 54-49, with 16:40 left in the half.
 
Williams Baptist came back and a jumper by Anthony tied the game at 54-54. A minute and a half later, a jumper by Devante Carolina put the Eagles ahead, 58-57. Williams Baptist slowly grew the lead to nine, 69-60, over the Owls after a Marquez Chew jumper.
 
WWU continued to battle and after a jumper by Enriquez and a jumper by Dickey the Owls trailed by four, 72-68, with 8:24 left in the contest. WWU continued to roll on the offensive end as Jason Walker and Dickey followed with six more points taking a 76-72 lead with 5:50 left in the game.
 
William Woods stretched its lead back to five points, 79-74, before the Eagles came back tying the game at 79-79 after a three by Dyers. WWU took a lead on the next trip down on a shot by Stark, however, Travon Cobb answered for the Eagles keeping the game tied at 81-81 with 3:18 left in the game.
 
Williams Baptist's Cobb broke the tie with 2:23 left in the contest on a three pointer. Vice came down and answered for the Owls with a jumper. Williams Baptist scored one more point in the half and Dickey hit a shot as time expired tying the game at 85-85 and forcing overtime.
 
The game remained close in overtime as both teams slowly started cooling off as neither team scored for the first two and a half minutes of overtime. Stark broke the scoreless overtime period with a jumper putting the Owls ahead, 87-85. After an Owls turnover, Dyers hit his eighth three of the contest, putting the Eagles back on top.
 
Stark came down again and put the Owls ahead as he hit another jumper. After Stark's jumper the Eagles scored the next four points and led 92-89 with 28 seconds left in the game. Stark answered again putting the Owls down one, 92-91, with 15 seconds remaining.
 
Marquez Chew went to the line and missed the first shot on a bonus attempt and the Owls got the rebound. With time running out, Vice fired up a three-pointer that missed and the Owls fell to Williams Baptist, 92-91, in overtime.
 
By the Numbers
27 – DaShaun Stark led the Owls with 27 points
26 – Darrien Dickey scored a career-high 26 points
59.7 – WWU shot 59.7 percent from the floor
62 – The Owls scored 62 points in the paint
19 – William Woods committed 19 turnovers against the Eagles
16 – The Eagles hit 16 three-pointers against the Owls
13 – WWU dished out 13 assists in the contest
64.5 – The Owls shot 64.5 percent in the second half