OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 27, 2022) – Oklahoma Christian beat Arkansas-Fort Smith with defense earlier this month. The Eagles downed UAFS in a thriller on Thursday night with offense, highlighted by heroics from D.J. Walter and Drew Tennial.

Walter scored a career-high 23 points and Tennial hit a driving layup in traffic with 1.4 seconds left in overtime to lift OC past the Lions 84-83 inside the Eagles' Nest. It was the Eagles' first win in three overtime games this basketball season.

As they did in a 59-55 win on Jan. 11 in Fort Smith, Ark., the Eagles won using only six players, with five of them scoring in double figures. In addition to Walter (who hit 4 of 8 3-point attempts), Tennial had 21 points (just one off his career high) and nine rebounds, Moun'Tae Edmundson had 16 points and nine assists, Anthony Johnson had 11 points and five assists and Nyk Madison added 10 points and four blocked shots.

The Eagles' only reserve used in the game, Justin Nimmer, scored only three points, but they came on a big three-point play late in regulation. The Eagles shot 51.7 percent (31 of 60) on Thursday, their second-best shooting performance of the 2021-22 campaign, and outrebounded UAFS 36-29.

OC (7-12, 3-5 Lone Star Conference) has won four straight games over UAFS (11-9, 5-3), sweeping the Lions each of the past two seasons. It is OC's longest winning streak in the series since it began competing at the NCAA Division II level with the 2012-13 season. The Eagles have won five straight home games against UAFS, a streak that started with the 2017-18 season.

Neither team led by more than six points and the game included 21 lead changes and 18 ties, including a 30-30 deadlock at halftime. The Lions were up 70-66 with 2:40 left in regulation after a 3-pointer by Evan Anderson, who went 5 of 10 from behind the arc and scored 15 points.

But Madison scored on a put-back with 43.9 seconds left to pull OC within 71-70 and after Drew Miller missed a 3-point attempt for UAFS, OC tied the game with 9.5 seconds left when Edmundson split a pair of free throws. Arkansas-Fort Smith's Courtney Murrell had a shot carom off the left side of the backboard with :02 left, giving OC possession, but all the Eagles could manage was a half-court heave by Edmundson.

UAFS quickly took a 76-71 lead in overtime before the Eagles again rallied with a 6-0 spurt in just 44 seconds. Walter hit two free throws with 2:56 left, then made a layup at 2:31 before Tennial put OC ahead 77-76 with a fast-break layup with 2:12 left.

That was the first of seven lead changes in overtime. Tennial, who scored OC's final nine points, split a pair of free throws with 33.3 seconds left to give OC an 82-81 advantage. Matthew Wilson – who scored 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting – hit a 14-foot fallaway jumper with 9.5 seconds left to give the Lions a one-point lead.

After a timeout, Edmundson raced the ball upcourt, then passed to Tennial near the top of the key and Tennial drove toward the basket. He laid the ball off the backboard and it fell through the hoop with 1.4 seconds left. UAFS quickly inbounded and Wilson's desperation shot from three-quarters-court wasn't close.

Chris Rollins scored 19 points for the Lions but fouled out late in regulation, while Murrell added 13 points.

OC will continue its homestand with games next week against Texas-Tyler on Thursday and Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday.

Video of locker-room celebration: https://youtu.be/xpNjXuz4wUw
Anthony Johnson dunk: https://youtu.be/DNE-vGugV6A