GOODWELL, Okla. — Five players scored in double figures for the Oklahoma Panhandle State men's basketball team (5-17, 3-14 SAC) Saturday afternoon in an 81-71 victory over College of the Ozarks (8-16, 5-13) at home.
 
The Aggies were hot out of the gates but soon found themselves in a back-and-forth battle as the first half wore on.
 
OPSU closed the period on a 22-10 run, though, thanks in part to a trio of three-pointers from Braedyn Ellison in less than a two-minute span during his second stint.
 
That run helped Panhandle State to a 49-37 edge at halftime, aided by 57.6% shooting, including 8-of-16 from deep during the frame. The hosts had compiled 12 assists through the first 20 minutes, and seven Aggies had already scored at least five points.
 
There was no let up after halftime from the home squad, as Kensington Grant-Brown buried two triples to kickstart an 8-0 run that gave the Aggies a 57-37 lead.
 
The Bobcats slowly closed the gap to 13 midway through the half, but Ederick Coleman Jr. made a trey and Ja'Vian Baker hit on two layups to stretch the lead back to 20, 79-59, with just over seven minutes to play.
 
College of the Ozarks worked its way back slightly in the waning minutes but never truly threatened to emerge victorious as OPSU emptied its bench with over a minute to go.
 
Christian Campbell and Grant-Brown both had 14 points to lead the Aggies, with Ellison, Mike Carter and Baker also finishing in double figures.
 
Campbell had a team-high two blocks, part of a season-high tying seven for Panhandle State – a number it also reached in Thursday's win over John Brown. Grant-Brown and Baker tied for the team lead with four dimes apiece, and Mykel Lindsey snatched a game-high nine rebounds.
 
OPSU outrebounded the Bobcats 42-29, with Baker and Coleman Jr. both adding six boards off the bench.
 
Coach Charles Belt's Thoughts: "Great day to be an Aggie. First time we've strung two conference wins together in a row. But most importantly we played complete basketball. Today we got contributions from everyone, defensively and offensively! We care and we have fight. We know it's a long shot, but mathematically we aren't out of the hunt for the conference tournament. You want to play your best basketball late and we are doing just that."
 
What's up next: The Aggies look to complete a sweep of their homestand when they host Central Christian College (9-14, 4-13) at 8 p.m. Monday.