Box Score MOUNT HOPE, WV - The Owls spent Monday's holiday traveling through the snow to get to West Virginia to take on the Warriors of Appalachian Bible College. Despite the sub zero temperatures outside, the shorthanded Owls heated up the hardwood.
With sickness forcing a handful of Owls to stay in Asheville, nine Owls made the trip to take on the Warriors. Of the nine, six Owls scored in double figures. Freshman
Lazzaro Ford led the Owls with 29 points, including 8 made threes, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals.
Slim Hines also continued his torrid scoring streak with 23 points, bringing his average to 19.7 points over the last three games.
Despite cold shooting to start, the Owls dictated pace and controlled the game from the outset. The game changed when the Owls subbed in their all-Freshmen bench mob-- Ford,
Jaison Nkala,
Ray Wiggins, and
Christian Arisi. This group blew the game open by ratcheting up pressure and attacking the rim. Nkala set the tone with pressure, deflections, and steals. Wiggins attacked the rim from the perimeter and Arisi added a pair of dunks to establish his authority on the inside. With Nkala, Wiggins, and Arisi collapsing the defense, Ford was left to let it fly from three and he scorched the nets for 15 first half points.
When the starters returned, they kept the dominant play and hot shooting going to lead the Owls into the locker room with a 61-27 lead.
The second half mirrored the first as the Owls added 63 more points to the Warriors 29.
Led by Ford's 29 and Hines' 23, the Owls had 6 double digit scorers. Freshmen
Jaison Nkala,
Ray Wiggins, and
Christian Arisi all set new career highs with 17, 14, and 14 points, respectively. Nkala also tallied a career high 6 assists. Fellow Freshman
Jakorri Arnold added 13, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
Braxton Crocker tickled the net three times from 3-point range, snagged 3 steals, and dished 3 assists. In limited minutes,
Nas Cotton dominated the paint defensively and got into every stat category except the Turnover column. Freshman floor general Peyton Gonzalez catalyzed the offensive attack with a game high 7 assists.
Next, the Owls have a week to get healthy before they get back on the road to take on Morris College Jan. 27 in Sumter, South Carolina.
