SHAWNEE, Okla. (Jan. 31, 2009) – The NAIA National Game of the Week saw No. 5 Oklahoma Baptist University outlast No. 15 Oklahoma Christian University 73-58 on Saturday night.

Oklahoma Christian's six-game win streak came to an end as it fell to 16-5 overall and 9-4 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. OBU upped its record to 19-2 and 12-1 as they took their 13th-straight victory.

The setback snapped a two-game Oklahoma Christian win streak vs. Oklahoma Baptist. The Eagles were also the last team to beat the Bison on their home floor after a 68-66 victory in the Noble Complex last season.

Jason Taylor once again paced the Eagles with his 10th double-double of the year. The Edmond, Okla., forward had 20 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort.

Taylor scored OC's first six points, and it was a 6-6 tie five minutes into the game. OBU then used a 13-3 run to assume a 10-point lead by the 11:30 point, and the Bison never trailed again in the game.

After Jon Jonsson swished an NBA-range three to make it 22-15, the Bison rattled off 11 unanswered points to take their biggest lead yet at 33-15.

The Eagles pulled back within single digits at 38-29 when Taylor made a hook shot off the glass with 56 seconds remaining until intermission.

But OBU got six points in the final 36 seconds from Garrett Steinmetz – including a buzzer-beating three-quarters-court shot – to put the Bison up 44-29 at the break.

The Bison made 5-of-8 three-point tries in the first half to help a 12-of-18 (65 percent) overall shooting performance. Taylor led the Eagles with 13 points at halftime.

Kyle Tefft converted a driving conventional three-point play just 38 seconds into the second half to cut OBU's lead down to 44-32. The Eagles weren't within 12 points again until Jonsson scored a strong layup with 11:49 left to make it a 56-44 contest.

Then OC finally cut the deficit to 10 (58-48) when Tefft hit two free throws at the 8:43 mark. The Eagles pulled even closer when Jeff Crocker made two at the line with 5:37 left to narrow the score 59-50.

But the Bison outscored the Eagles 14-8 from there to close out the victory.

Crocker finished with 15 points and four assists, while Tefft added eight points and Jonsson, Micheal Hill and David Jackson all had five.

Steinmetz led all scorers with 21 points, and Al Moore posted 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Bison. 

OC looks to return to the win column at Northwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday night. Tip time is set for 8 p.m. in Alva.

-OC-