Box score
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BETHANY, Okla. (Jan. 15, 2009) – An electrifying Sooner Athletic Conference clash went the way of Oklahoma Christian on Thursday night at Southern Nazarene University (Okla.). The Eagles got 30 points from All-American Jason Taylor in a 58-55 classic between the long-time conference rivals.
Taylor had 15 in both halves for his second-straight 30-point game. The postman now has 1,055 career points.
"Just a really, really good win," OC head coach Dan Hays said. "Very grateful for our students and cheering section tonight, it felt like the old days back at Broadhurst Gymnasium. But there are a lot of teams at 4-3 and tonight we kind of broke out of that. My mind immediately goes to USAO though, who is a very good team."
The win runs OC to 12-4 overall and 5-3 in the SAC. SNU dropped to 11-5 and 4-4.
After trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half, the Eagles shot out of the halftime break with seven-straight points to take their first lead. Kyle Tefft hit a three, then Taylor scored in the lane before David Jackson canned a trey to make it a 29-27 OC lead with 16:32 showing.
The Eagles couldn't build a lead larger than two points during the next three minutes and SNU regained the edge, 34-31, on a Vladimir Bulut three with 12:33 left.
OC then energized the some 200 students who made the short drive west to the Sawyer Center with an 8-0 rally to go ahead again. Jackson hit his second go-ahead trey of the night at 10:03. Then just over a minute later, the Tulsa, Okla., junior buried another bomb to give the Eagles a 41-37 cushion.
OC clung to the lead – which never grew larger than five points over the next six minutes. Jackson gave the Eagles their biggest lead at 46-41 with one more long-range three.
The teams traded punches down the stretch and SNU tied the score at 50-50 with two Deonta Black free throws with 1:45 to play to set up a nail-biting final sequence.
It didn't take long for the Eagles to answer, and it was Taylor who provided the heroics with his second three of the game, putting OC up three with 1:23 remaining.
After Brandon Durham made two SNU charity tosses, the Eagles worked the shot clock down and Taylor threw out of the post to Tefft, who once again came up with a big three for the Eagles. The triple – OC's eighth of the game – put the Eagles up 56-52 with only 35 seconds left.
But the drama wasn't over. With under 20 seconds to play, Black stole the ball from Taylor in the backcourt and dunked home two while being fouled. After making the free throw, it was 56-55 with 18 seconds on the clock.
Tefft then missed the front end of a one-and-one bonus to give SNU a final chance. But the Eagles forced Durham to shoot an ill-advised three over two defenders, and Tefft secured the rebound, and the win for OC.
Taylor had the Eagles' first 10 points of the game, and it was 13-10 SNU after 10 minutes of play. Seconds later, it was 13-12 when Tefft found Jackson breaking backdoor for a wide-open layup.
The points were OC's last over the next 5:12 as SNU put together an 11-0 run that made the score 23-12. Michael Hill broke the drought with two free throws at the 3:48 mark before a late rally put the Eagles right on the doorstep at halftime.
Taylor had five points – including a three pointer – in the last 2:24 and Jackson added a deep two to make it 26-21 at the break.
Taylor netted 15 of OC's 21 first-half points. The Edmond, Okla., product – who is the SAC's top scorer at 23.3 points per game – was 6-of-7 from the field in the opening period.
Jackson had 16 points on a 4-of-9 night from beyond the arc for the game. Tefft finished with eight points and three steals.
OC shot an even 50 percent (20-of-40) from the field, including a 57-percent effort (12-of-21) in the second half. The Eagles also nailed 7-of-10 three tries in the final half.
The Eagles return to action on Saturday night against Science and Arts of Oklahoma at 8 p.m. inside the Eagles' Nest.
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