OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 9, 2020) – Oklahoma Christian leads the Lone Star Conference in defense and the Eagles posted another strong performance in that area on Thursday night against Tarleton State (Texas), holding an opponent under 70 points for the ninth time this basketball season.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, they struggled on offense down the stretch, managing only two points in the final three minutes after taking a late lead. That provided just enough of a window for Tarleton State to rally and escape the Eagles' Nest with a 63-59 win.

Randall Broddie scored 20 points for Tarleton State (7-7, 3-5 LSC), including a desperation 17-foot jumper with 52.5 seconds left (and the shot clock expiring) that put the Texans up 59-57, and two free throws with 16.9 seconds left that extended his team's lead to four points.

OC (4-8, 3-5) lost despite stellar outings from Dedrian Parmer Jr. and Will Lienhard. Parmer Jr. had 21 points and seven rebounds and drew a whopping 10 fouls (twice as many as any other player in the game). Lienhard continued making his case as the league's best defensive player, blocking five shots, grabbing 13 rebounds and joining with Parmer Jr. to help limit the Texans' leading scorer and rebounder, Josh Hawley, to four points and one rebound. OC outrebounded the Texans by a decisive 38-22 count.

A primary difference between the teams was turnovers – OC committed 17 while Tarleton State had only eight.

"We struggled with their athleticism and size early," OC coach Kendre Talley said. "We just turned the ball over late and made some bad decisions and gave them that game, but our guys fought hard. As long as they go 100 percent, I'm OK with it.

"We're just going to keep trying to grind and do things the right way and that ball will start to bounce our way."

OC trailed the entire first half but was down only 26-25 at halftime. The Eagles used a 6-0 spurt, capped by a basket by Parmer Jr. with 17:50 left, to take their first lead at 31-30. OC soon pushed its lead to 42-36 when Marcus Blackwell scored with 13:43 left.

The lead kept changing hands the rest of the way, even as OC lost a key scorer when Aubrey Johnson, who finished with 12 points, fouled out with 3:19 left. Parmer Jr. hit two free throws with 3:05 left to put the Eagles ahead 57-55, but Javontae Hopkins hit a driving layup for the Texans to tie the game 16 seconds later.

No one scored again until Broddie's basket with 52.5 seconds left, and after D.J. Walter missed a 3-point attempt, Broddie hit his free throws to make it 61-57. Tarleton State fouled OC's Johnatan Reyes-Valdez, who made both free throws with 10.8 seconds left.

Broddie then missed two free throws with 8.3 seconds left, giving OC a final opportunity. As Reyes-Valdez drove toward the basket, Broddie was moving with him and there was contact. Officials ruled Reyes-Valdez had committed a charging foul, giving the Texans possession with :03 left and effectively deciding the result. Hopkins hit two free throws with 1.9 seconds left to seal the win for Tarleton State.

Besides Broddie, only one Tarleton State player scored in double figures – Clashon Gaffney, who had 10 points.

It likely will be the only time OC and Tarleton State will face each other as conference foes, as Tarleton State has announced plans to move into NCAA Division I next season. The all-time series between OC and the Texans is tied 1-1, as the Eagles beat Tarleton State 110-34 during the 1987-88 season.

OC will face a highly ranked team for the third time in as many weeks on Saturday, when the Eagles will host No. 13/10 Dallas Baptist (Texas) for a 4 p.m. Lone Star Conference game. The Eagles have led the LSC's other two nationally ranked squads, West Texas A&M and St. Edward's (Texas), on the road at halftime before falling.

"They're a real well-coached ball club," Talley said of DBU, which has ended OC's season each of the past two years. "We've got to be ready for a lot of different things … and another tough game. That's the Lone Star Conference for you."