OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City University men's basketball team started off the 2009-10 season with a resounding 108-78 victory over Dallas Christian at Abe Lemons Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Chris Brown, a senior guard from Spencer, Okla., was OCU's leading scorer on the day with 20 points in the game. Brown was 7-of-12 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line in his 23 minutes played.
Jerome Phillips, a senior from Chickasha, Okla., had a game-high 10 rebounds and 19 points for the first double-double of the regular season. Also, junior Bryant Williams of Austin, Texas had an impressive six blocks in the one-sided contest.
OCU head coach Kevin Morrissey was “excited about having a great crowd for homecoming” at Abe Lemons Arena. The Stars played before a crowd of 2,500.
“We shot incredibly well in the game, something I hope that can happen every game,” Morrissey said.
OCU shot 64.7 percent from the field in the game, was 13-of-20 (65 percent) from beyond the arc and 29-of-37 from the charity stripe.
OCU held Dallas Christian to just 39 percent shooting, forced 15 turnovers had 10 blocks and eight steals in the contest.
Senior leadership is something that has impressed Morrissey to start the year.
“Chris Brown is a good leader on and off the court. He's a smart player with a good basketball IQ,” Morrisey said of the leading point-getter. “Phillips is a double-double kind of player and he is taking on that role. He had a great game.”
The game was slow moving to start, with Dallas Christian obtaining the early advantage for the first five minutes of play. After free throws by Brown and a 3-point basket by Corey Bingham, the Stars had the 10-7 advantage and never looked back. The halftime mark saw a 21-point lead for the home team that stretched to a game-high 43 on Austin Ennis' free throws at the 6:14 mark in the second period. By the final buzzer, OCU held a 30-point advantage over their opponent.
OCU will play an exhibition game in Durant, Okla., at Southestern Oklahoma State on Monday at 7 p.m.
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