Click here to listen to Coach Stephanie Findley and Coach Dan Hays discuss Monday's victories.
The 22nd-ranked Oklahoma Christian University women's basketball team opened with a 22-2 spurt and ran by Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College (Okla.) 107-46 here Monday night. The Lady Eagles are now 3-0 on the season.
OC shot 44 percent from the field in the first half and led 52-15 at halftime. Seniors Rachel Martin and Katie Fariss each had 13 first-half points.
In the second half, OC went on a 20-3 run from the 14:30 mark to the 7:45 mark. Rachel Martin capped the run with a pair of free throws. OC outscored HBC 55-31 in the second half.
For the game, the Lady Eagles forced a season-high 36 turnovers that they converted into 31 points. OC's bench players made solid contributions with 43 combined points.
Fariss finished the game with a career-high 25 points. The 6-1 forward hit 5-of-11 three point attempts and snatched 11 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double and the 13th of her career. She also nabbed seven steals.
Martin scored 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Two other Lady Eagles reached double-figure scoring with sophomore Lindsey Gipson netting a career-high 11 and freshman Devin Sewell adding 10. Charlotte Heron swatted six Lady Saint shot attempts and collected five rebounds.
The victory sets the stage for two contests this weekend against NCAA Division II opponents, beginning Friday with the University of Central Oklahoma at 8 p.m. in the Central Oklahoma Classic. The Lady Eagles then take on East Central University (Okla.) on Saturday at 1 p.m.
In the men's game, the 25th-ranked Eagles defeated Hillsdale 79-56. OC is now 3-0 after beating defending NAIA champion Texas Wesleyan 70-61 last week.
The Eagles took a 10-point first-half lead when Jared Mitchel converted an old-fashioned three-point play off a hard driving layup with 13:31 in the half. OC took a 39-21 advantage into the break when Charles Baldwin's three-point miss was slammed home by senior Micah Miles as time expired.
OC shot 46 percent from the field in the second half en route to the victory. The lead grew to its largest at 27 when senior John Nottley blocked a Saint shot attempt and Baldwin pushed the ball ahead to Tanner Hazelbaker for a three-pointer from the right corner.
OC outrebounded the Saints 35-23 on the night, with Nottley grabbing a team-high nine rebounds.
Fresh off being named Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week, Keith Harris scored a game-high 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field while also nabbing eight rebounds. Miles added 17 points and joined Nottley with five blocked shots. Freshman Jason Taylor scored 13.
OC hosts the NAIA's best pre-conference event of the year this weekend. No. 5 Union (Tenn.), No. 17 Oklahoma Baptist and NCAA Division II Central Oklahoma join the 25th-ranked Eagles for a four-game classic on Friday and Saturday. The Eagles will take on Union Friday night and UCO on Saturday. Both OC games will tip off at 8 p.m.
