UAFS basketball Lions win D-II season opener

Editor’s note: Story by Jonathan Gipson, sports information director for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.
 
It was one for the record books.

Junior Josh Simmons scored a career-high 28 points and junior Chris Williams had a double-double as the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Lions pulled away down the stretch to beat the University of the Ozarks 87-65 on Tuesday night at the Stubblefield Center.

It was the official NCAA Division II opener for the Lions, who are provision D-II members this season after competing at the junior college level for 81 years. The Lions had played NCAA Division I foes Saint Louis and Nebraska in exhibition play prior to their season opener against the NCAA Division III Eagles.

Simmons, a 6-foot-4 guard from Houston, Texas, was 11-of-17 shooting from the field and was 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. Simmons, who transferred from NCAA Division I Colorado State, also had a team-high six assists to go along with three steals and six rebounds.

Williams, a 6-5 junior forward from Lebanon, Ill., scored 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and had 11 rebounds. Williams, who transferred from Moberly Area Community College, helped the Lions out-rebound the Eagles 43-30.

The duo accounted for 17 of the Lions’ 32 shots. UAFS shot 54% (32 of 59) from the field and 60% from 3-point range (12 of 20).

Blake Mitchem, a 6-6 sophomore forward from Fort Smith, had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Eagles (1-1). He had 34 points and 13 rebounds in the Eagles’ season-opening win against Hendrix College on Sunday.

Ozarks shot just 36% from the field (20 of 55) and 54% from 3-point range (7 of 13).

UAFS led 39-26 at halftime, and its lead never dipped below double-digits in the second half.