Surprise, Ariz. – OUAZ men's basketball came up just short in a back-and-forth battle Thursday night, falling 85-83 to the Justice Lions in their home opener at Faith Arena. The Spirit move to 2-3 on the season following the narrow defeat.
OUAZ controlled much of the first half and took a 40-37 lead into the locker room after shooting nearly 49 percent from the field over the opening 20 minutes. The Spirit pushed their advantage to as many as 11 points early in the second half and held the lead for more than 22 minutes of game time before the Lions mounted a comeback.
The game remained tightly contested down the stretch, with the teams trading baskets throughout the final minutes. After trailing by 10 points midway through the second half, OUAZ battled back and tied the game at 83-83 on a three-point play by Max Mkpa with 47 seconds remaining. Justice answered with a basket on its next possession and added a late free throw to secure the victory.
Tyran Simpson led the Spirit offensively with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting while adding five rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block. Trevor Thompson, Quinn Thorne, and Carter Gittens each scored 14 points, with Gittens recording a double-double by pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out four assists.
Max Mkpa added 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists, while Josh Hardeman provided eight points off the bench. The Spirit outrebounded the Lions 40-34 and finished with 18 assists, but 22 turnovers proved costly in the two-point contest.
For the Lions, Rayqwan King poured in a game-high 24 points, including five three-pointers, while Devin Miller added 15 points and four steals. Moses Demalek contributed 14 points and seven rebounds in the victory.
OUAZ will have more than a week to prepare for its next contest as the Spirit travel to California to face Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday, Nov. 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will mark the beginning of a road trip for the Spirit.
