After a slow start, Miles closed out the regular season in style, rolling Oakwood 75-56 Thursday night at Knox-Windham Gymnasium. Jelani Watson-Gayle made 4-of-9 3-point attempts and scored a team-high 15 points for the SIAC Western Division-winning Golden Bears (18-8), who have now won the fourth-most games in a single season of any team over the program's past 40 seasons.

The Ambassadors (12-12) scored the first eight points of the game but had lost the lead for good when Robert Jones completed a 3-point play at the 7:38 mark in the first half. That ignited a 13-0 run over the next three minutes that culminated with a 3-pointer by Jeffrey Dockett (six points, seven rebounds) that pushed the score to 31-20 with four-and-a-half minutes left in the opening half. Oakwood would trim the deficit to five points but Miles led 36-29 at the break.

Watson-Gayle would nail a 3-pointer early in the second half to give Miles a 45-33 advantage. Oakwood would not get the deficit to single digits the rest of the contest. But it was an 11-0 run midway through the half that put the game well out of reach. Damian Archer (13 points, seven assists, three steals) and Umar Frost (six points, five rebounds) scored two baskets each and Watson-Gayle buried another from long distance to give the Golden Bears a 62-40 lead. Nathan Sheffield (nine points, game-high eight rebounds) would drain his own 3-pointer - one of seven by Miles - for the Golden Bears' biggest lead of the night (26 points) with 5:26 left.

Edmen Stewart had 16 points and six rebounds to lead Oakwood. LaByron Harris had six points, five rebounds and two blocks for Miles, which will open the SIAC Tournament on Wednesday against the winner of the Fort Valley State-Tuskegee contest. Tip-off at the Bill Harris Arena is scheduled for 3:15 p.m.