Box Score MEMPHIS—Despite playing without their two leading scorers, the Christian Brothers University Bucs cruised to a 70-43 win over visiting Southern Arkansas Saturday afternoon at Canale Arena.

After the first seven minutes were a dead heat, the Bucs (16-5, 4-3) exploded for a 16-0 run that saw eight points from Pat Graham (Bowling Green, Ohio/Bowling Green HS), including a fastbreak three-pointer that lifted the Bucs to a 26-10 lead with 5:41 remaining in the half.  Graham finished with a career-best 16, and the Bucs never allowed SAU (9-9, 1-5) closer than 14 points again.

Michael Drake (Little Rock, Ark./Catholic HS) added 14 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, and Jimmy Palmer (Hernando, Miss./Hernando HS) matched his career-high with 12 points in 15 minutes off the bench.  Connor Wetzel (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wyoming HS) had nine points and tied his career high with four blocks, the 10th-most in a game in school history.  Harry Green (Memphis, Tenn./White Station HS) added eight points and five assists.

Edwin Ward led the Muleriders with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

The Bucs held Southern Arkansas to just 25.5 percent (14-of-55) from the floor, their lowest shooting percentage since 2005.  The Muleriders shot 8.3 percent (1-of-12) from three-point range.  The Bucs were 42.6 percent (23-of-54) overall and 36.4 percent (12-of-33) from three-point range.  The Bucs were out-rebounded 40-36, including a 16-9 edge in offensive rebounds, but they forced 16 turnovers while committing 11.

The Bucs were playing their second game without an injured Scott Dennis (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore HS) and their first without Zack Warner (St. Louis, Mo./Clayton HS), also due to injury.  Dennis leads the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals, while Warner leads in blocks and is second in scoring, rebounding, and assists.

The Bucs return to action Thursday night at 7 p.m. as they host Arkansas-Monticello in the first game of the second half of the GSC West schedule.