Box score
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (March 1, 2008) – Oklahoma Christian fell to No. 9 Oklahoma City 82-73 Saturday night inside Abe Lemons Arena.
The loss brought OC's final regular-season record to 13-16 overall and 10-12 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
The game was this year's final installment of the "Backyard Brawl" presented by Bank of America and The Oklahoman.
Jason Taylor had 28 points in the loss to outduel OCU's Ollie Bailey (26 points, 18.3 ppg) for the SAC scoring title.
Taylor (19.4 ppg) becomes OC's first conference scoring leader since 2004-05 NAIA Player of the Year Jarred Merrill (24.1 ppg) did so in the same season.
OC did not trail in the opening 8:26 of the game Saturday night.
Jeff Crocker stroked a top-of-the-key triple over a defending John Roby to give the Eagles an early 7-4 lead with 18:26 in the first half.
Two ties ensued before Kyle Tefft stole a Kameron Gray pass, then pushed the ball ahead to Crocker, who found a spinning Taylor, who then scored a conventional three-point play off the glass. The triple gave OC a 19-16 lead with 13:25 on the clock.
The Stars took their first lead at 20-19 on a Na'Vonta Kentle breakaway score at 11:34.
The lead never went higher than four points and OC again knotted the score at 25-25 on a pair of John Powell free throws at the 6:33 point.
OC tied the score two more times in the half. The last coming when Tefft banked home a Taylor miss at 1:43 to lock the action at 33-33.
In the closing seconds before the break, Willie Irick attempted a three that rimmed out. Under the basket, a hold by Taylor, and subsequent sling by OCU's Jason Arbet went uncalled, allowing Arbet to collect the miss and lay home two at the buzzer to give the Stars a 35-33 halftime edge.
Taylor (13 points) and Tefft (10 points) each reached the double-figure scoring plateau in the opening half.
Tefft snagged a steal and again tied the score at 35-35 on two free throws just over 30 seconds into half number two.
Two more ties followed before a 7-0 OCU jaunt helped the Stars open up a 47-40 edge. The seven-point lead at 14:25 was the biggest for either team yet.
The Eagles sliced the deficit to four points twice over the next 1:24 before a 15-7 OCU rally helped the Stars build a 66-54 advantage by 7:06.
OC kept battling and scored a 7-2 run from the 5:48 to 3:05 marks that cut the Stars' lead to 72-63. Tefft hit from downtown at 3:05 to bring the Eagles within single digits.
A late Marlon Word three-pointer made it 82-73. But it was too little, too late for the Eagles, as OCU took the nine-point victory.
The Eagles will play in the SAC Tournament on March 5-11 at the Eagles' Nest. OC will be the No. 8 seed and will play Lubbock Christian (Texas) in the tournament's first round at 2:45 p.m. this Wednesday.
