**For Immediate Release**
OPSU Aggies Get Well Deserved 1st Win of the Season
by Scott Puryear on 12/31/05

Goodwell, OK - The Oklahoma Panhandle State men’s basketball team was a focused group of young men on Friday night. They were seeking their first win of the season as well as some payback for an earlier loss suffered at the hands of Eastern New Mexico. Through a determined effort, they got them both with a stunning 62-59 victory.

From the get go, fans could see it was going to be a very physical game. ENM’s Mikal Monette (6’7, 225 pounds) and OPSU’s Aaron Harrison (6’9, 290) went after each other especially hard. The lead changed hands several times in the first half, and with 44 seconds left, OPSU’s steady Juan Carson hit a pair of free throws to tie the score at 25-25.

In the closing seconds of the half, OPSU’s Eddie Moss came up with a steal and shortly thereafter, teammate Tim Anderson hit Carson with a bullet pass that the 6’4 senior promptly turned into an NBA-range three point bucket. The Aggies took their 28-25 lead to the halftime break.

The game continued to be just as physical in the second half and each team held the lead several times. With three minutes left to play, ENM had a 59-52 advantage but the determined Aggies, coached by Curt Connor, were not to be denied. A Tim Anderson three point bomb put OPSU ahead, 61-59 with 44 seconds remaining. A Nick Malinowski free throw capped a ten point Aggie run and completed their 62-59 victory.

Both Malinowski and Harrison led the way for OPSU with “Double Doubles.” Malinowski led all scorers with 15 points and tied for game high with ten rebounds. The burly Harrison, a starter last year who recently rejoined the team, played 25 strong minutes and also had ten rebounds and scored 13.

Carson, a very consistent player, added ten points. It was a strong OPSU team effort and one of the hardest workers in the game was Anderson, just back after missing five games with an eye injury. The senior guard scored five points and gave the Aggies a very strong defensive game.

On Monday, the Aggies (1-10) will be in Ada, Oklahoma for a non-conference contest with East Central. Then they will head north to begin Heartland Conference play with Friday and Saturday games against Montana State-Billings.

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