The OC men's basketball team celebrates after winning the SAC tournament title Saturday night with a 73-66 overtime win over No. 1 Oklahoma Baptist.
By Murray Evans
SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. – One by one, Oklahoma Christian players and managers climbed a ladder to cut a piece of the net down at Bill George Arena. Head coach Dan Hays snipped the last piece, held the net up, then slammed it through the basket.
It was that kind of night for the Eagles – a historic and joyful night. With a 73-66 overtime win over No. 1-ranked Oklahoma Baptist in the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament final, OC captured the university's first men's basketball postseason title since 1982, when the Eagles won the NAIA District 9 championship.
OC (20-12) earned an automatic berth to the NAIA Division I tournament and will learn Wednesday who it will play in the first round. OBU (28-4) already had earned an automatic berth to the national tournament because it won the regular-season SAC title.
"We went through a lot of tough losses, but coach told us we've just got to keep believing," said OC point guard Kendre Talley, who received tournament most valuable player honors after finishing with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. "We knew we could beat any team in the nation.
"Coach said if we wanted to make history, tonight was the night to do it. You don't get too many chances like this."
After going 0-8 during the regular season against ranked foes, seventh-seeded OC beat three ranked teams in as many days to win the tournament title, knocking off No. 10 Rogers State and host and No. 13 John Brown before beating the Bison.
"The heart and the fight that these kids have shown, to come over here and beat three really good ranked teams, including the home team, it is really quite an accomplishment," Hays said. "I'm just so pleased that these kids have hung in there."
The Bison took their last lead at 52-50 on a 3-pointer by Emmanuel Wilson with 6:36 left, but Will Reinke, Devan White and Reinke again scored baskets during a 6-0 OC run to put the Eagles up 56-52 with 4:00 left. Oklahoma Baptist forced overtime on a put-back basket by Jacobi Isham with :06 left in regulation. Talley missed a driving shot at the buzzer while being blanketed by the Bison's DeAngelo McIntosh.
OC quickly seized control in the extra period. Reinke and Eric Randall each hit a pair of free throws in the opening minute to put the Eagles ahead for good at 62-58. McIntosh scored for Oklahoma Baptist with 3:42 left.
After each team had two empty possessions, Talley drove for a layup while being fouled by Heath McKay, then converted the free throw to make it 65-60. After Reinke blocked McIntosh's shot at the other end, Talley buried a 3-pointer with 1:34 left to make it 68-60.
"Talley was just awesome," Hays said.
The Bison rallied within 69-64 on two free throws by David Johnson with 55.1 seconds left, but Talley went 4-of-4 from the line in the final 30.7 seconds left to seal the win for the Eagles.
Reinke posted his 11th double-double of the season with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. Brandon Troutman went 6-of-8 from the field – including 3-of-4 from 3-point range – and matched his career high with 16 points.
"I just knew that these kids couldn't keep getting bad breaks at the end," Hays said. "I knew it was going to turn around. I thought it might be next year. But these kids just worked and they believed. I've never had a team face so many roadblocks, like losing so many close conference game, and bounce back every time."
When the buzzer sounded, the celebration began, with hugs, high-fives and smiles all around. OC's best defensive player, White, received the tournament's Hustle Award, while Reinke joined Talley on the all-tournament team.
White limited Wilson, a first-team All-SAC selection, to 11 points on 3-of-17 shooting. The Bison shot 33.8 percent from the field (22 of 65), including 12 percent from 3-point range (3 of 25). OC shot 49.1 percent from the field (26 of 53) and 50 percent from 3-point range (6 of 12).
"His award says it all – Mr. Hustle," Talley said of White. "Devan White is the heart and soul of the team."
The Bison had four players reach double figures – Johnson (17 points), McIntosh (16), Wilson and Derick Echols (10).
OC had won only two postseason tournaments in school history, beating then-No. 1 Northeastern State in the rubber game of a best-of-3 series in the 1968 District 9 playoffs, then downing Oklahoma Baptist 73-69 in the District 9 title game in 1982. Since then, OC lost the 1989 District 9 tournament final to East Central, then dropped SAC tournament title games in 1994, 1995 and 2003, all to Oklahoma City University.
With Saturday's win, Hays clinched his 19th 20-win season while at OC and the 20th of his collegiate coaching career. OC has made 10 previous trips to the NAIA tournament, but this will be the final one, as the university is applying for membership in NCAA Division II and is leaving the SAC after this school year.
