OAKLAND CITY, Ind. — A balanced scoring effort and strong defensive play powered the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's basketball team to an 81–63 road victory over Oakland City on Tuesday night at the Johnson Center.
The Pomeroys (9-8, 3-2 River States Conference) jumped out to an early lead and never trailed after the opening minutes, holding Oakland City to just 22.2 percent shooting in the first half. SMWC led 39–25 at the break and maintained control throughout the second half to secure the 18-point win.
Quamar Hobbs paced SMWC with 18 points on an efficient 8-of-9 shooting in just 21 minutes.
Taray Howell added a game-high 20 points off the bench, including a perfect 6-of-6 effort at the free-throw line, while
Mike Ajukwa chipped in 12 points.
DeYon Bell was dominant on the glass, pulling down 16 rebounds to go along with eight points, while
Malachi Pearson recorded nine points, 10 rebounds and three steals. The Pomeroys finished with a 50–41 rebounding advantage and outscored Oakland City 40–32 in the paint.
SMWC shot 44.9 percent from the field and connected on 8-of-18 attempts from three-point range, while converting 11-of-13 free throws. The Pomeroys also capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 21 points off offensive rebounds.
Oakland City (8-9, 3-2 RSC) was led by Dior Davis, who scored 23 points off the bench. Kalik Sharpe added 17 points, but the Mighty Oaks struggled from the perimeter, finishing 3-of-13 from beyond the arc.
SMWC will continue River States Conference play on Saturday, January 17, when the Pomeroys travel to Midway for a 3 p.m. (ET) tipoff.
