Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 17, 2015) – A banged-up bunch of Oklahoma Christian Eagles came close to toppling one of NCAA Division II's top offensive teams on Saturday afternoon.

OC held Dallas Baptist (Texas) to almost 26 points below its season scoring average, but the Eagles also had offensive issues and a late rally fell painfully short as the Patriots escaped the Eagles' Nest with a 60-53 win.

By game's end, two of OC's starters – leading scorer John Moon and freshman Tripp Fuller, who made his first career start – were on the bench with injuries, joining senior teammate Eric Randall, who missed his third straight game due to injury. That the Eagles still were able to make a game of it was a silver lining for OC coach Dan Hays.

"I thought we had great fight," Hays said. "I thought we had a bunch of kids who did some good things. We just had some perimeter guys who don't make shots tonight. I think we can make them. We just didn't. … It was a good effort, very resilient. I thought we did a good job."

Dallas Baptist (10-5, 4-3 Heartland Conference) entered the game averaging 85.7 points per game, 16th-best among Division II squads. But the Patriots shot just 33.9 percent (20 of 59) from the field, including 33.3 percent (12 of 36) from 3-point range. One of the Patriots' key returning players, Jonathan Perry, suffered through a 1-of-12 outing, although he did grab a game-high nine rebounds.

Perry's teammate, Myles Johnson, provided much of the Patriots' offense with an impressive 22-point, eight-rebound, six-assist effort. He was the only Dallas Baptist player to reach double figures.

The Patriots essentially won the game in the first half. OC (3-11, 1-7) went just 6-of-25 from the field (24 percent), allowing Dallas Baptist to build a 15-point lead. The Patriots led 31-17 at halftime.

A pair of 3-pointers by Jordan Walker extended Dallas Baptist's lead to 37-19 with 16:14 left before the Eagles clamped down defensively, allowing the Patriots only 23 points the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, OC chipped away at the lead, even though Moon battled foul trouble throughout, somewhat limiting his effectiveness. Consecutive baskets by senior forward Josh Faurot pulled OC within 47-38 with 7:09 left and prompted Dallas Baptist coach Blake Flickner to call timeout.

Still, the Eagles kept coming. Consecutive 3-pointers by Jordan Box and Elijah Strickland cut the deficit to 50-46 with 3:29 left, before Moon had to leave the game due to injury after catching an elbow to the mouth with 3:10 left. He didn't return.

Two free throws by Box with 2:49 left pulled OC within 50-48, but Amari Bryant broke free for a 3-pointer for the Patriots, and OC came no closer than four points the rest of the way. Dallas Baptist went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line in the final 27.9 seconds to seal the win.

Moon finished with 18 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots for OC, while Cameron Peters added 10 points. OC shot 32.8 percent from the field (19 of 58) and 20 percent from 3-point range (4 of 20).

"Defensively, we're fine," Hays said. "They shoot 33 percent for the game. The problem is, we shoot 32.8 (percent) for the game. They hit eight more 3-pointers than we did and that's the ballgame."

OC will play two road games next week – at Rogers State on Thursday and at Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday.