OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 1, 2021) – Oklahoma Christian came close in the final minutes to salvaging a rough shooting outing against Oklahoma Baptist, but in the end, the Eagles finished a shot short on Monday night.
In the first meeting between the longtime rivals since 2012 – when they both were members of the NAIA's Sooner Athletic Conference – Oklahoma Baptist rode a sizable advantage from the free-throw line to an 11-point lead, then hung on for a 61-58 win over OC in a nonconference basketball game in the Eagles' Nest.
Kalifa Ford had 20 points and eight rebounds for OBU (1-10), which hit 20 of 23 free throws compared to 3 of 4 for OC (4-5). OBU entered the game 16th in NCAA Division II in free-throw shooting and its performance at the line proved to be the difference against the Eagles.
OC attempted 30 3-pointers, making nine (30 percent). Senior guard
Tyra Peck was 5 of 9 from behind the arc and scored all 17 of her points in the second half. She brought the Eagles back after the Bison took a 56-45 lead on a basket by Andreja Peciuraite with 4:34 left, hitting a trio of 3-pointers in a 70-second span. The last one brought OC within 58-54 with 2:21 left.
Jaylin Stapleton, who had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Bison, split a pair of free throws with 2:04 left before
Emma Epperly's short jumper with 51.2 seconds left made it 59-56.
After an OBU miss, the Eagles had a chance to tie, but
Kendra Levings left a well-guarded 3-point attempt short with 18.6 seconds left and Stapleton sealed the win for the Bison with two free throws with 14.9 seconds left. She finished 10 of 12 from the line.
Epperly scored 15 points for OC, while
Brooklin Bain grabbed 11 rebounds to go with five points.
Maddison Collyer Ingraham added seven points, eight rebounds, eight assists and six steals, recording season highs in the latter two categories. The Eagles shot 34.8 percent from the field (34.8 percent).
OC will return to Lone Star Conference play this weekend, with the Lady Eagles scheduled to host Midwestern State (Texas) on Friday and Saturday.
