OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University erased a 16-point deficit and won 77-73 in overtime over USAO on Thursday at Abe Lemons Arena.
Jamel White led OCU with 23 points, while Ricardo Lovelace supplied 17 points, 15 rebounds and the game-tying 3-pointer with 44 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. The Stars moved to 13-7, 6-6 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
OCU scored first in overtime on Marlon Jones' putback and a pair of Lovelace free throws. Jamaal McCoy cut OCU's edge to 75-73 with 43 seconds remaining with a bucket.
White rebounded Jones' missed free throw with five seconds left, then drew a foul. White, a junior from Brooklyn, N.Y., sank the clinching free throws with two seconds remaining.
“It showed a lot of growth for our team to come back from 16 down,” OCU coach Kevin Morrissey said. “It was a learning experience. We looked lethargic the first half, and I certainly challenged them at halftime, and they responded. If we could duplicate our second-half effort, that would be good.”
USAO (7-11, 4-8 SAC) hit 6 of its first 7 shots from the floor, then built a 32-16 advantage on Calen Parks' jumper. USAO led 42-29 at halftime.
White only had four points in the first half, then went for 19 points in the second half and overtime.
“What's when Jamel took over,” Morrissey said. “He had some big baskets for us.”
Na'Vonta Kentle scored on a reverse dunk in transition off DaVell Jackson's feed to draw OCU within 59-57 with 7:01 left in the second half. Kentle added free throws to tie the game 62-62 with 3:04 remaining in regulation.
McCoy's layup gave USAO a 69-66 lead with 1:07 left in the second. Lovelace answered with a trey with 44 seconds left off Jackson's dish. Allen Harris missed a shot with six seconds left, then Jackson missed a driving layup attempt as time ran out.
Jackson, a junior from Las Vegas, added 13 points, nine assists and two steals.
“Ricardo has always been a good rebounder,” Morrissey said. “He has a lot of confidence. He had a good game against OBU last week, and he has built upon that. That shot he hit was enormous. He plays with a lot of heart and emotion.”
OCU faces Southern Nazarene at 8 p.m. Saturday in Bethany, Okla.
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