A 26-7 run to close out the first half led the host University of Ozarks to a 78-64 win over the LeTourneau University men's basketball team on Thursday night in Clarksville, Arkansas.

The YellowJackets built a 22-8 lead in the first 9:56 of the game on the strength of seven points each by Ladaria Brown and Aaron Frizell and six more by Kurt Morris.  In the run to close out the half, the Eagles hit three 3 pointers and the bench outscored LeTourneau by a 19-9 margin.

Making two of the 3 pointers was Josh Ferrell, who went on to hit six in the game for a game-high 20 points to lead the University of Ozarks. He was joined in double figures by Joshua Clark and Ted Beard IV, who added 13 and 12 points, respectively. With the win, Ozarks improves its record to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the American Southwest Conference.

LeTourneau drops to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the ASC with the loss. Frizell led the YellowJackets with a career-high 18 points including three 3 pointers and Brown added 16 in the defeat.

After trailing by five, 34-29, at the half, a layup by Brown would get the YellowJackets as close as three but no closer for the rest of the contest.
Later in the half, the YellowJackets did cut the deficit to 4, 38-34, with 16:52 to play on another layup by Brown but the Eagles retaliated with an 8-0 spurt.

Next, LeTourneau will open the 2014 portion of its schedule on Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7:30 p.m. when they host Concordia at Solheim Arena.