Tigers finish first semester with record of 11-1

Fresh off earning his 600th career win on Sunday, Cowley College men’s basketball head coach Steve Eck added to his win total with a 80-45 win over Eastern Oklahoma State Wednesday at W.S. Scott Auditorium.

Playing at Eastern Oklahoma on Nov. 27, the Tigers trailed by eight points at halftime before rallying for a 14-point win. This time there would be no comeback necessary as Cowley took control from the start and led 38-17 at the end of the first half.

The Tigers’ lead continued to grow in the second half as they led by as many as 40 points (80-40) in the win.

“I think we have got better since that game (at Eastern Oklahoma),” said Eck, who was honored with a plaque commemorating his 600th win prior to the game.

Cowley shot 61.1 percent from the floor and made 5-of-9 three-point attempts as they won its fifth game in a row.

“Right now we are getting better ball movement and getting better shots out of it,” Eck said.

Sophomore Montrell McDonald led the Tigers with a game-high 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Chris Rhymes added 15 points, while Reggie Cook and Jack Crowder chipped in with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

In the first meeting between the teams, Robert Givens and Dominique Mpondo combined to score 38 points. On Wednesday, the duo of Givens and Mpondo managed just 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting from the floor.

“We knew we wanted to stop their touches,” Eck said.

Cowley held Eastern Oklahoma to 32 percent shooting and forced the Mountaineers into 23 turnovers. Eastern Oklahoma is now 2-10 on the season.

The Tigers will head into the Christmas break with a record of 11-1. Cowley will not return to the court until Jan. 5 when they begin conference play by hosting Kansas City Community College at 7 p.m.

“I think the guys need a break,” Eck said.

Box score:
Eastern Oklahoma (45): Benjamin Hall 1-5 0-0 2, Ben Pelley 1-3 0-0 2, Dominique Johnson 4-6 2-2 10, Robert Givens 2-8 4-7 8, Dominique Mpondo 3-10 1-2 7, JoJohn Smith 0-2 0-0 0, Tyler Garner 1-2 2-2 4, Blake Albright 1-1 2-4 4, Ashton Harrison 2-7 2-2 8, Emyr Quinones 0-2 0-0 0, Will Seymour 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 15-46 13-19 45.

Cowley (80): Preston Brown 2-5 0-1 4, Reggie Cook 5-7 0-0 13, Montrell McDonald 8-12 1-4 17, Kyle Hammerschmidt 1-3 0-0 2, Chris Rhymes 5-9 3-4 15, Mike Atwater 1-2 1-2 3, Marcus Butler 1-3 0-0 2, Edwin Hutton 3-4 0-2 6, Jack Crowder 5-6 0-3 10, Jeremy McCarty 0-0 0-2 0, Zach Miller 1-1 4-4 6, Eric McKinney 1-2 0-1 2. Totals: 33-54 9-23 80.

Three-pointers: E. Oklahoma 2-12 (Hall 0-2, Pelley 0-2, Givens 0-1, Harrison 2-5, Quinones 0-2, Cowley 5-9 (Cook 3-5, Hammerschmidt 0-1, Rhymes 2-2, Atwater 0-1). Rebounds: E. Oklahoma 20 (Johnson, Mpondo, 3), Cowley 28 (McDonald 5). Assists: E. Oklahoma 5 (Hall 2), Cowley 24 (McDonald 5). Turnovers: E. Oklahoma 23, Cowley 15. Total fouls: E. Oklahoma 25, Cowley 19. Fouled out: Hammerschmidt. Technicals: none.