Box score

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (Feb. 2, 2008) – Kyle Tefft led all scorers with 24 points to help Oklahoma Christian to a 71-61 win over Sooner Athletic Conference newcomer Mid-America Christian (Okla.) on Saturday night.

Tefft finished the game 9-of-15 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. Jason Taylor tallied his seventh double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

"Kyle was outstanding tonight," OC head coach Dan Hays said. "We had a lot of guys step up though. I thought our bench play was outstanding. Marlon Word, Chad Endres and Sam Stephens did a great job. It was just a good, good team effort."

OC (8-13, 5-9) did not trail, but never led by more than three over the game's opening five minutes.

OC and MACU combined for five three-pointers in a hectic span from 14:55 to 13:43.

John Powell and David Jackson hit from downtown for the Eagles, while Joe Brown and Preston Cranford netted three treys for the Evangels. When the dust cleared, the game was knotted at 15-15.

MACU briefly took the lead a minute later at 17-15, then OC scored six straight to open a 21-17 lead.

Five-straight Evangel points gave MACU another short-lived advantage before a 12-3 Eagle rally put the game in OC's control.

Kyle Tefft's conventional three-point play in transition made it 28-22 with 7:38 left. Marlon Word buried a three-pointer less than a minute later and John Powell skied for a layup at 5:55 to make it 33-25.

The Eagle edge moved to double-digits at 36-26 on Tefft's three in the corner 47 seconds later.

Tefft took the lead to 39-26 with 4:25 left on another long-range triple.

OC led 46-30 at the half. Tefft had 17 points at intermission.

MACU narrowed the gap to 48-39 by the 16:29 mark of the second half, but went the next 4:52 without a point.

OC capitalized on the drought with seven unanswered points. Five points came on free throws from Taylor and Tefft.

The Eagles got the cold hand next with a four-plus minute scoreless span that saw nine unanswered Evangel points. MACU drew within 55-46 by the 7:58 point with the rally.

But it was OC's night. Tefft dropped two points at 5:35 to make it 58-48. Then a highlight-reel half-court alley-oop from Crocker to Taylor made it a 12-point game with five minutes to play.

OC's lead never shrank into single digits from there as the Eagles coasted to the 10-point victory. 

Jackson netted 11 points in the win, while Crocker chipped in eight points and Powell dropped seven points.

The win kept OC's unbeaten all-time record (11-0) vs. MACU intact. OC snapped a two-game losing with the win. The Evangels fell to 4-16 overall and 1-11 in the SAC.

The Eagles (8 p.m.) and Lady Eagles (6 p.m.) take on rival Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday night in Shawnee. Both the Bison men and women are nationally ranked.