With Oklahoma Christian and Oklahoma City University renewing their rivalry on Thursday when OCU visits Oklahoma Christian, we're highlighting the 10 best basketball games in the schools' head-to-head history.
We're counting down Nos. 10-6 this week, then we'll unveil the top five when OC and OCU face each other on March 1. As you read about the buzzer-beaters, outstanding players and the throw-out-the-records results, you'll see why the rivalry has become known as the "Backyard Brawl."
7. March 6, 1995: Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament men's final, Oklahoma City 88, Oklahoma Christian 78, Hamilton Field House in Edmond, Okla. An unlikely hero arose to decide the 1995 Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament championship between Oklahoma Christian and Oklahoma City University.
From the pages of The Oklahoman:
By Murray Evans
The Oklahoman
Ryan Aduddell picked the right night to play the basketball game of his life.
The Oklahoma City University guard, often overlooked among the Chiefs' long lineup of stars, became the star on Monday night. He didn't miss a shot and scored a career-high 23 points as OCU, ranked No. 3 in NAIA Division I, downed No. 15 Oklahoma Christian 88-78 in the Sooner Athletic Conference men's tournament final before about 2,500 fans at steamy Hamilton Field House.
The win avenged a regular-season loss and earned defending NAIA I champion OCU (28-2) an automatic berth in the national tourney in Tulsa, which starts next Tuesday. OC (27-8) and a third SAC school, No. 10 Oklahoma Baptist (28-5), each should receive an at-large berth to the 32-team NAIA tourney field.
Aduddell, a 6-2 junior out of Moore, went 8-for-8 from the field, 6-of-7 from the free-throw line, added four assists and was named the tourney MVP. As a team, the Chiefs shot 58.6 percent (34-of-58) from the field, including a sizzling 62.1 percent (18-of-29) in the second half.
"I kind of took a back seat all year," said Aduddell, who didn't break into OCU's starting lineup until January. "I just took the shots they gave me, and I was fortunate they went down."
OCU rallied from a seven-point first-half deficit to take a 44-43 halftime lead, and the Chiefs applied the screws defensively in the second half.
OC's 6-8 senior center, Fred Garcia, scored 22 points in the first half but managed only five after intermission thanks to the inside work of OCU centers Brian Hopgood (6-10) and Ian Phillip (6-9). Garcia played all but 39 seconds in the game and obviously tired in the second half.
"We were hoping our two big guys could wear (Garcia) down," OCU coach Win Case said. "Evidently it worked, but he's a heckuva player."
The Chiefs also held OC senior forward Eric Wiens, the league's second-leading scorer, to just 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting. OC shot 58.6 percent (17-of-29) from the field in the first half but slumped to 40.0 percent (14-of-35) in the second half.
"We felt like (defense) was going to be the key," Case said. "We felt if we could get two or three defensive stops, we could get on a roll."
That's what happened. OC took its last lead on a Danny Brown 7-footer with 16:36 left, but the last of 16 lead changes came when Hopgood started a pivitol 17-2 OCU run with a hook at 16:16. Corey Jenkins followed with a 3-pointer and a fast-break layup. Aduddell added two buckets during the spurt, which ended with the Chiefs up 65-51 with 9:48 left.
OCU upped its lead to 73-55 at the 6:41 mark before the Eagles rallied. A 12-2 run, capped by a trey by senior guard Mike Walker, pulled OC within 75-67 at 3:38.
Senior guard Elijah Maxey, whose starting spot was taken by Aduddell, buried treys at 3:04 and 1:42 to keep the Chiefs out of danger, though. OCU went 5-of-7 from the line in the final 1:06.
"The better team won tonight. They outplayed us," OC coach Dan Hays said. "Aduddell and Maxey (18 points, including four treys) stepped up and did more than they've been doing. I thought we were making a great run and then Maxey hits a three. That's why they're a championship team."
OC's largest lead came at 35-28 on back-to-back treys by senior guard Greg Brown and his sophomore brother, Danny Brown. OC led 39-32 with 3:07 left in the first half, but OCU scored the next 10 points, including five by Aduddell.
Hopgood, a senior from Spencer, finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Jenkins added 14 points. OC's Greg Brown and Danny Brown each scored 13.
Joining Aduddell on the all-tournament team were Greg Brown, Garcia, OCU forward Brian DeBose (who went 0-for-6 from the field and was scoreless against OC), Hopgood and Oklahoma Baptist guard Spencer Wright.
Top 10 OC-OCU games:
1. TBA
2. TBA
3. TBA
4. TBA
5. TBA
6. TBA
7. OCU men 88, OC 78 in the 1995 SAC championship game
8. OC men 65, OCU 63 in 1993. (Click here for the game details)
9. OCU 83, OC men 72 (in overtime) in 2006. (Click here for the game details)
10. OC women 78, OCU 75 in 2005. (Click here for the game details)
