Box Score LUBBOCK, Texas (Feb. 5, 2015) – At the start and at the end, the 3-point shots were falling for Oklahoma Christian on Thursday night at the Rip Griffin Center. But none fell in the middle for the Eagles, when the game was decided.
After jumping to an early seven-point lead, a prolonged offensive cold spell put OC in a double-digit hole and the Eagles never recovered while losing 80-65 to league-leading Lubbock Christian (Texas).
The lone league win for OC (3-16, 1-12 Heartland Conference) this season came against Lubbock Christian (12-8, 9-4), but the Chaparrals earned their revenge by shooting 50.8 percent from the field, including 50 percent (8 of 16) from 3-point range. OC shot 40.4 percent from the field and matched a season high with 10 3-pointers, but most of them came after the result had already been determined.
"Lubbock was ready for us," OC coach
Dan Hays said. "They played really well tonight. Quite frankly, we're just not a very good team right now. I don't know if there's any time left in the year to make up the difference. We're just struggling. They work hard in practice. We get in the game and we just make uncharacteristic turnovers."
Senior forward
Eric Randall had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Eagles while sophomore center
John Moon had 14 points and seven rebounds, but guard
Jordan Box (16 points) was the only other OC player to reach double figures in scoring.
"Our perimeters won't help us out. We made some late when the game was done, but our perimeters don't make enough baskets in prime time. Our posts are doing a good job but our perimeters were 3-of-14 at halftime. Until they make some shots, there's no way we're going to be able to do what we've got to do."
Strong play inside by Moon and Randall and early 3-pointers by
Jordan Rutherford and
Elijah Strickland staked OC to a 16-9 lead at the 11:56 mark of the first half. Lubbock Christian then seized control with a 22-4 run that included a pair of 3-pointers by Beau Durham, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
That put the Chaparrals up 31-20 and they led 36-24 at halftime after a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Ridrell Holman, who scored 15 points.
During the first eight minutes of the second half, Lubbock Christian built its lead to 22 points. Thanks to the Chaparrals' solid shooting, the Eagles came no closer than the final margin despite making eight 3-pointers in the final 11 minutes, including three by Box.
Isaac Cardona scored 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting to lead the Chaparrals, while Marcos Schuster added 11 points.
OC will return to action on Saturday afternoon at Oklahoma Panhandle State.
