KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Oklahoma City University were ousted by Southern Polytechnic State (Ga.) 78-70 on Wednesday in the opening game of the NAIA Division I men’s basketball tournament at Municipal Auditorium.
The 16th-seeded Stars (17-10) succumbed to Southern Poly shooting as the victors sank 11 3-pointers. Southern Poly (27-5) advanced to the round of 16 at 10:45 a.m. Friday.
Xavier Dawson topped Southern Poly with 28 points, nailing five treys. Jas Rogers added 20 points for 19th-ranked Southern Poly.
Kavon Lytch, a junior from Brooklyn, N.Y., spearheaded OCU with 23 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. Chris Brown, a senior from Spencer, Okla., scored 19 points, knocking in three of OCU’s four 3s. Jerome Phillips, a senior from Chickasha, Okla., contributed 10 points and three steals.
“The team goal was to reach the national tournament, but we were unable to reach beyond that,” OCU coach Kevin Morrissey said. “I’m proud of Chris Brown and Jerome Phillips’ leadership throughout the year.”
Southern Poly built a 38-29 rebounding advantage and shot 19-of-23 from the free-throw line. Southern Poly pocketed 13 steals.
Southern Poly erased a 9-5 deficit with a 17-2 run. OCU closed its deficit to three points three times, but failed to take the lead.
“It’s hard to win giving up 17 offensive rebounds and turning it over 17 times along with allowing the other team to shoot 48 percent,” Morrissey said. “We have several players returning, and we hope to build on this year.”
Brown and Phillips played their final game as Stars.
After spending last season as a redshirt, Brown became one of the premier offensive threats in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Brown reached 20 points 11 times this season, including a career-high 29 points twice against St. Gregory’s on Dec. 5 and USAO on Feb. 22. He also tied OCU’s single-game record with eight steals against St. Gregory’s on Dec. 5. He ended his OCU career with 474 points, 57 assists and 30 steals. Brown will graduate with his kinesiology degree.
Phillips, from Chickasha, Okla., showed a range of skills on the court as evidenced by his two-year OCU numbers of 342 points, 185 rebounds, 80 assists and 45 steals. His season highlights include a 19-point game vs. Dallas Christian on homecoming Nov. 7, 10 rebounds in several games, including a victory at Oklahoma Christian on Jan. 14, four 3-pointers at John Brown on Feb. 4 and at Oklahoma Baptist on Dec. 3 and four steals in a win against fifth-ranked Southern Nazarene on Feb. 20. Phillips will graduate with a degree in business administration.
Oklahoma City was defeated in the first round for only the second time in 19 appearances in the NAIA Tournament. OCU owns a 47-13 all-time record in the tournament.
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