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The 2025-26 UAM Boll Weevil basketball season got under way on November 14 with UAM travelling to Tahlequah, Oklahoma to participate in two games in the Central Region Challenge with their first game coming against Northeastern State University in a 79-74 loss.
Northeastern would lead the Weevils at the half 40-38 and would take the second half 39-36.
UAM would be led in the contest by Jakob Zenon with 21 points with Josh Smith scoring 19.
Aston Price finished with 14 and Isaac Jackson, returning from missing the 2024-25 season due to injury, scored 12.
Giancarlo Valdez added five and Felix Smedjeback rounded out the scoring with three.
UAM returned for game two on Saturday, November 15, in a 70-57 loss to the University of Central Oklahoma.
Isaac Jackson would enter the contest needing four points to join the 1,000 Point Club.
Jackson would get two points closer with 14:05 remaining in the half on a layup and would reach 1000 on a pair of free throws at the 13:26 mark.
Jackson would go on to lead the Weevils in scoring with 17 followed by Josh Smith with 16 and Jakob Zenon with 11.
Giancarlo Valdez added seven, Ashton Price with four, and Felix Smedjeback with two.
With the loss, the Weevils begin the season 0-2 and extend their losing streak to 17 games dating back to January 11, 2025.
The Weevils would return to Steelman Fieldhouse on Tuesday, November 18, for the fourth annual Billie Ballgame.
The Weevils would host Hendrix College, who would be participating in their second Billie Ballgame with their first appearance coming back on November 16, 2023 in the second Billie Ballgame.
Hendrix holds a career advantage over the Weevils with a 37-30 advantage, dating back to 1960, but the Weevils would make that record 37-31 after posting their largest victory in the series with an 87-37 victory in front of a packed house of Monticello Elementary School Billies.
Ashton Price would lead the Weevils in scoring with 23 followed by Josh Smith with 22.
Isaac Jackson added 12 and Jakob Zenon would be the fourth Weevil in double-digits with 11.
Felix Smedjeback scored nine, Gincarlo Valdez with six, and Bryson Hammond with four.
With the win, UAM would snap the 17 game skid and would return to Steelman Fieldhouse on Thursday, November 20, to host the Arkansas Baptist University Buffalo’s who would have a familiar face on their coaching staff with UAM Alum Tyrin Jones who was a member of the 2016-17 and 2017-18 Weevils that posted two consecutive GAC Tournament finals appearances and an NCAA Central Region Tournament appearance.
UAM would lead the Buffalos for most of the first half with Arkansas Baptist having the lead once in the stanze wih UAM going into the locker room at the half leading 33-29.
The Weevils would outscore Arkansas Baptist by one point in the second half, 39-38, to hold on to a five point, 72-67, win for their second win of the season to improve to 2-2.
Leading the way for the Weevils would be Issac Jackson with 28 points to put his career total to 1,053.
Jakob Zenon followed with 14, Josh Smith with 13, and Gincarlo Valdez with 10.
Felix Smedjeback would finish with three with Ashton Price and Lamont Jackson rounding out the scoring with two each.
The Weevils will remain home for the next two games, hosting Delta State Tuesday, November 25, at 6 pm and will host Ecclesia College on Saturday at 3 pm.
