Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 2, 2017) – Newman (Kan.) outscored Oklahoma Christian 8-2 during the final 73 seconds to escape the Eagles' Nest with an 83-82 win on Saturday afternoon.

The finish was frustrating for OC (2-5, 0-1 Heartland Conference), which had entered the game on a two-game winning streak. The Eagles led 80-75 after a basket by Miroslav Jaksic with 1:23 left, but they scored only once more, allowing Newman to seize control.

Ben Ayre made a basket with 1:13 left, then hit two free throws after OC's Charles Shaw fouled out on a charging call and immediately was whistled for a technical foul. Before Newman (4-5, 2-0) could inbound the ball, Abel Rodriguez fouled Ayre, who hit two more free throws to put the Jets ahead 81-80, after they'd trailed for more than eight minutes.

After an OC miss, Ayre made two more free throws with 23.9 seconds left. Elijah Strickland answered with a short jumper with 6.3 seconds left to pull OC within 83-82, and Ayre fumbled the ensuing inbounds pass, giving the Eagles a final chance with 5.1 seconds left.

The Eagles worked the ball to Jaksic, who was driving to the basket when a Newman defender appeared to knock the ball loose. It went out of bounds with sixth-tenths of a second left and officials ruled it was off an OC player, giving Newman possession.

"Our decision making at crucial times the last two minutes was a letdown," OC coach Cory Cole said. "We will definitely learn from it and move forward as a program."

Leading the Eagles – as usual – was Strickland, who continued his hot streak with a 27-point outing and became the 41st OC player to score at least 1,000 career points. Junior forward Roderick Smith posted his first career double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Shaw added 13 points. The Eagles shot a healthy 55.2 percent from the field.

"EJ continues to impress," Cole said of Strickland. "He's playing on another level at both ends. "Smith is starting to get his groove and was tough on the boards and made some energy plays."

Newman led by nine points on three occasions in the second half, the final one at 52-43 with 15:09 left. A pair of three-pointers by Strickland ignited a 16-5 run by the Eagles, who took a 59-57 lead on a layup by Smith with 10:19 left. OC's lead peaked at 78-71 when Strickland hit two free throws with 3:02 left.

Ayre scored 26 points to lead the Jets, while Dametrius Walker had 15 points, Christian DeYoung 14, and DeAndre Johnson and Andre Sands 10 each.

OC's next game will be against a longtime rival, albeit one the Eagles haven't seen in a while. Former Sooner Athletic Conference nemesis Oklahoma Baptist will visit the Nest next Saturday for a 3 p.m. game.

OC and OBU haven't played since the 2012 SAC tournament championship game, when the unranked Eagles stunned the No. 1-ranked Bison 73-66 in overtime in Siloam Springs, Ark., during a surprising run to the NAIA Division I tournament. Current OC assistant coach Kendre Talley was named as the SAC tournament's most valuable player.