COLUMBUS, Miss. -  The Mississippi University for Women men's basketball team utilized a strong second-half effort to notch an 81-73 home victory over Arkansas Baptist College. The win was the Owls third "W" in their last three games, both coming at Pohl Gym.
 
"Coming into this contest, we had very little video, stats, roster information, etc., on our opponent," The W Head Coach Dean Burrows explained. "As we talk about daily, it will always be about us and what we need to do in order to impact winning. They jumped up on us in the first half by 12 and our guys stay composed and decided to get stops which translated into some buckets for us on the other end. We did a very good job against their press all game long and capitalized on that at times, as well."
 
And no one was more crucial to The W's run in the final 20 minutes than Thomas Wright, who scored 21 of his game-high 29 points in the second segment. Not only did the junior from Pensacola, Fla., score, but he did so with his trademark efficiency. Wright hit 12-of-14 attempts from the field versus the Buffaloes, raising his season field goal percentage to a blistering 78.9 percent (71-90) in his 10 games as an Owl.
 
(The W team shot better than 55 percent in that second half).
 
Wright also had five rebounds, to go along with his game-leading four steals and two blocked shots.
 
"Everyone watching can see how special Thomas Wright is down low and why we had to have him here with us as our first recruit. For as good of a player as he is, he's an even better young man. The first half saw us with some well-balanced scoring from all of the guys who got minutes, but in the second half Thomas was getting a touch every time down."
 
But Thomas Wright was far from the only bright spot for The W. Shon Wright – no relation – had an 18-point scoring game and pulled down eight rebounds, while also dishing off a team-best five assists. Teammate Quintiyus Causey booked 13 points to go along with his four caroms off the glass.
 
Nathan Reed added six points. Ddallen Bailey, Dariun Doss and Terry Coleman Jr. each scored four points, with Cam Skinner's three rounding out the Owls' point total.
 
Bailey's nine rebounds led all players.
 
The W men will close out the 2021-22 campaign on Thursday (Feb. 17) at home versus Pensacola Christian College. It will also be Senior Day for the Owls.