BETHANY, Okla. (Nov. 23, 2021) -- Southern Nazarene didn't hit a 3-point shot in the first half and Oklahoma Christian took full advantage, jumping to an early nine-point lead and trailing by only four points at halftime. 
 
But the long-distance shots fell at a high rate for SNU after halftime and provided enough cushion for the Crimson Storm to hold off a late rally by OC and escape the Sawyer Center with a 70-64 win over the Eagles in a nonconference game. 
 
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, SNU (3-1) and OC (1-4) didn't play last season for the first time since the 1960s, when SNU began its men's basketball program. The longtime archrivals – as they often have through the decades – played another down-to-the-wire game as the storied series resumed. It wasn't decided until the final seconds, when SNU hit 3 of 4 free throw attempts in the final 17.6 seconds while OC missed three layup attempts. 
 
Moments earlier, OC had cut what had been a 13-point deficit to just three, as two free throws by Anthony Johnson with 17.6 seconds left pulled OC within 67-64. To that point, SNU had made just 3 of its previous 10 free throws and the Crimson Storm didn't record a basket at all in the final 4:24. 
 
"These guys have been working hard and that's all I can ask," OC coach Kendre Talley said. "Win, lose or draw, if they give all that they've got, I've got to be happy with that. Of course, we all want to win, and the guys are working hard and the winning will come if we continue to grind and just do things the right way. We'll get this thing turned around." 
 
SNU missed its first six shots and OC built an early lead as a result. Moun'Tae Edmundson's 3-pointer at the 16:25 mark of the first half put the Eagles up 9-0 and they still led 21-13 after a nifty slice through the lane and dunk by Justin Nimmer with 7:54 left in the half.  
 
Then it was OC's turn for a cold offensive stretch. SNU scored nine straight points to take its first lead. A three-point play by Nimmer briefly returned the lead to OC at 24-22 at the 2:22 mark of the half, but the Storm scored six straight points to end the half, then six straight points to open the second half to open a 34-24 lead.  
 
SNU made 7 of 12 3-point shots in the second half to keep the lead at a comfortable margin and were up 61-48 with 6:34 left on a 3-pointer by Eain Mowat. But OC didn't quit, driving through the lane for layup after layup as the Storm struggled from the free-throw line. Johnson's basket with 28.7 seconds left made it 66-62 and his free throws moments later made it a one-possession game. 
 
Nyk Madison was called for a foul on the ensuing inbounds play after Johnson's free throws and Mowat hit two free throws for SNU. Drew Tennial missed two contested, close-in shots for OC before Maik Bouwer made 1 of 2 free throws with 7.4 seconds left for SNU, which finished 13 of 25 (52 percent) from the line. 
 
Tennial and Edmundson each scored 14 points for OC while Madison had 11. Manny Dixon led SNU with 17 points, while Jalen Lynn had 14 and Mo Wilson II had 13. 
 
"We did a good job," Talley said. "They had 28 points in the first half. We've just got to get our offense rolling. Our guys are still figuring each other out. With school being out now, we'll have a little bit more practice time to develop chemistry. The one thing I am proud of is our guys have fought in every game that we've had. We've just got to smooth some things out. We'll get to where we want to be. It just takes a lot of hard work." 
 
OC's next game won't be until Dec. 2, when the Eagles will host Lone Star Conference rival Midwestern State (Texas) in a mandated nonconference game.