The men's basketball team topped Hendrix College on Pinholster Court on Sunday afternoon, 89-77. The Petrels trailed the Warriors by 9 points with 11:17 to play before using a dominating 27-6 run over the next 8 minutes to seize control and win going away.

Both teams enjoyed a first half that featured lots of offense and little defense. The Warriors connected on 20 of 30 first half shots (67%) to hold a 45-43 lead heading into the locker room. The Petrels were 15 of 31 (48%) in an opening stanza that saw the two teams combine for only 7 turnovers.

The second half was back-and-forth as well with four ties and seven lead changes among the two teams. After Todd Ward knocked down a pair of free throws to give OU a 57-55 lead with 13:35 to play, the Warriors exploded to score 11 straight points and open up the aforementioned 9 point cushion at the 11:17 mark. Following a Ward layup to cut the lead to 7, Coach Ponder called a timeout and when his team returned to the floor, their defensive intensity went through the roof. The Petrels forced 4 turnovers and three missed shots over the Warriors next 9 possessions and, when the dust had settled, owned a twelve point 84-72 lead with 3:36 to play. From there the Petrels closed the game out down the stretch for their sixth win in their last 7 games.

Ward was unstoppable on the afternoon, netting 31 points on 11 of 19 shooting from the field. He also grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds and dished a team-leading three assists in the victory. Andrew Steioff, meanwhile, remained red-hot, making all 7 of his attempts from the field en route to 16 points. Dating back to Friday's win over Millsaps College, Steioff has made a remarkable 17 consecutive field goal attempts. The NCAA record for a single game is 18 in a row and the record over the course of multiple games is 24 in a row. Alec Pitts netted 15 points on 4 of 5 shooting to go along with 4 rebounds and two steals to round out the individual performers in double-digits.

The Petrels are now 12-8 (8-3) on the season and will host Rhodes College this Friday at 8:00 p.m. on Pinholster Court.