Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 11, 2015) – Any question about who would win Friday night between Oklahoma Christian and Manhattan Christian (Kan.) ended less than five minutes into the game, as OC sprinted to a 17-3 lead over the Thunder.
After that, it was a chance for the Eagles to work out kinks before entering Heartland Conference play, and they did just that while rolling to a 95-62 win at the Eagles' Nest over their National Christian College Athletic Association Division II opponent.
Contributions came from all over the court. With a huge size advantage, OC's 7-foot center,
John Moon, dominated inside with 29 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots. Swingman
Jordan Rutherford (11 points, seven assists, three steals) and guard
Zach Norris (a career-high six assists) rolled up big numbers while pounding the ball inside to Moon.
Meanwhile, guard
Elijah Strickland scored 20 points, hitting 4-of-6 3-point shots, and also had four assists. Off the bench, freshman guard
Daniel Eibel contributed a career-high 10 points.
The Eagles (3-5) shot a season-best 52.9 percent (37 of 70) from the field and committed only 12 turnovers – just four of those in the first half, when the result effectively was decided.
"It was a good team effort," OC coach
Dan Hays said. "We've had a terrific week of practice. We're still recovering from losing
Jordan Box (to injury) but we're filling in. We're getting guys making contributions.
"Elijah was terrific tonight.
Jordan Rutherford made a lot of really good plays.
Zach Norris is kind of the unsung guy, because he does a lot of the dirty work. Throw in
Daniel Eibel, because he did a good job.
In the burst to start the game, Strickland hit two 3-pointers, Rutherford added another, Moon had three close-in baskets and Norris ended it with a driving layup.
Manhattan Christian (5-6) pulled within 29-16 on a 3-pointer by Dalton Miller with 5:07 left before halftime, but OC scored the next 16 points, capped by another 3-pointer by Rutherford, to go up 45-16. The Eagles led 47-21 at halftime.
OC's lead peaked at 35 points, fueled by a solid performance by the end of the Eagles' bench.
Stephen Amalong and
Luis Lopez each knocked down a late 3-pointer and
Garrett Goddard added a bucket for his first career points.
Jacob Harper led the Thunder with 16 points. Manhattan Christian shot 33.3 percent from the field (23 of 69). The Thunder played the game as an exhibition, while the result counted toward OC's season record.
OC will be off until Dec. 19, when the Eagles begin conference play at St. Edward's (Texas). The Eagles' next home game will be Dec. 31 against Heartland foe Texas A&M International. This is OC's first season as a full NCAA Division II member, meaning the Eagles are eligible to qualify for the conference tournament.
"Now we start playing for real," Hays said. "It's not going to be easy … but we look forward to the challenge. They're all going to be tough. It's a tough league and for the first time, we count. Every game counts. Let's hope we make as much improvement in this week as we did in the last week."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyxdvxGL5hk&feature=youtu.be
