Box Score BETHANY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene struggled from the field hitting just 32.2 percent and went just 14-for-21 from the free-throw line in a 71-64 loss to Arkansas Tech.
 
CJ Smith scored a game-high 21 points for the Storm (1-3, 0-1 GAC) in the Great American Conference opener. Dartanyon Meggs added 14 points off of the bench while Quan Conner had 13 points.
 
Southern Nazarene led by as much as nine in the first half at 31-22, but watched the Wonder Boys (2-3, 1-0 GAC) go on a 13-0 run to end the first half and take a 35-31 lead into the locker room.
 
The Crimson Storm never led again. ATU opened the second half with a 23-12 run through the first 12 minutes of the half to take its biggest lead of the game at 58-43. SNU tried to get back into the game as Francisco Hukill and Smith hit a pair of threes to started a 13-4 run as the Storm cut it to 62-56 with 2:32 to play. SNU got within six against at 67-61 with 1:07 left, but that was as close as SNU came.
 
Eleven different players for Arkansas Tech got in the books as ATU hit 44.6 percent from the field and went 8-for-20 from 3-point range. SNU got out rebounded 47-32 and got out scored in the paint 38-10. The Wonder Boys had 22 second-chance points off of 15 offensive rebounds.
 
The Crimson Storm now get set to host Harding for a 4 p.m. GAC game Saturday.