6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3
Noble Complex in Shawnee, Okla.
THE MATCHUP: Oklahoma City University begins pursuit of the Sooner Athletic Conference championship in a road test against preseason SAC favorite Oklahoma Baptist.
ABOUT THE STARS: OCU was edged by Central Oklahoma 56-53 on Nov. 21 in Weatherford, Okla. Lauren Gober's potential tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell short for the Stars, now 4-1.
Gober, a 6-foot-1 freshman from Newcastle, Okla., scored a team-high 17 points to go with four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Gober averages 9.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
Starr Fairbanks, a 6-2 junior from Cincinnati, chipped in 11 points, six rebounds and two steals, while Chontaye Walter, a 5-8 senior from Oklahoma City, added eight points, eight rebounds and three steals.
Donica Cosby, a 5-8 junior from Coldwater, Miss., leads OCU with 17.3 points, 5.3 assists and 2.00 steals a game, and Holly Hardin, a 6-foot senior from Chickasha, Okla., adds 13.0 points and 7.2 rebounds a contest. Hardin's 65.9 percent field-goal percentage ranks second in NAIA Division I.
The Stars have been ranked eighth in NAIA Division I in the preseason. OCU has been picked to finish second in the conference. The Stars are tied for the most wins of any women's basketball program in the nation over the past nine years.
OCU has a 37-20 advantage in the all-time series against Oklahoma Baptist. The Stars won their seventh SAC Tournament crown by a 55-42 verdict over Oklahoma Baptist on March 7 in Lubbock, Texas in the last meeting. Walter had 13 points and four rebounds, while Hardin recorded 12 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots.
ABOUT THE LADY BISON: Oklahoma Baptist held off Southwestern Oklahoma State 70-66 on Nov. 21 in Weatherford, Okla. Southwestern reeled off a 12-3 run in the final minute to cut into a 67-54 Oklahoma Baptist lead. Oklahoma Baptist went to 4-1.
Taujhnae Travis, a 5-7 senior, propelled Oklahoma Baptist with 22 points, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals. Travis averages 16.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.80 steals a game.
Jayme Glover, a 5-8 senior, contributed 12 points, four rebounds and three steals on Nov. 21. Val Siemens, a 5-10 junior, adds 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds a game.
Oklahoma Baptist has been favored to win the Sooner Athletic Conference in the preseason and ranked third in NAIA Division I.
ABOUT THE COACHES: Rob Edmisson has posted a stellar 122-23 record in his fifth season at OCU and a 424-142 record overall in his 20th season as a head coach. Edmisson has led the Stars to SAC regular-season championships twice and the SAC Tournament title three times. Edmisson coached the only player drafted into the WNBA from OCU, Mariam Sy. He won 192 games at Hutchinson (Kan.) and 110 as a high-school coach in Kansas.
John McCullough has posted a 218-92 record in his 10th season as Oklahoma Baptist coach, 253-161 overall as a head coach. McCullough has led Oklahoma Baptist to nine consecutive national-tournament appearances, including the NAIA semifinals last season.
QUOTABLE: “Every team we're playing this year can expose you if your kids aren't not on top of their game. We're hoping that will prepare us for Dec. 3 against OBU knowing that's our conference opener and will have a huge effect on the outcome of the season in terms of conference play. We want to go into that game with our kids really being tested, being seasoned, having adversity and we've already put them into that situation.” – Edmisson on OCU's non-conference schedule
FOLLOW THE STARS: Fans can keep up on the latest on OCU athletics through several ways.
Become a fan of the Oklahoma City University Stars on Facebook by going to www.facebook.com/ocustars.
Become a follower of the OCU Stars on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ocustars.
Check out video of the Stars in action at www.youtube.com/oklahomacityuniver.
Listen to past game broadcasts and pregame and postgame interviews on the OCU pod center by clicking here.
Know when the game is happening and get scores and highlights following by calling the OCU athletics hotline at (405) 208-5400.
BUY SEASON TICKETS: To purchase OCU season tickets, click here.
ON THE AIR: The game will be broadcast via live audio on the OCU athletics web site. Greg Merick will call the action, and Andrew Himes will provide analysis. Click here to listen to the broadcast.
The game will also be available via live stats on Oklahoma Baptist's web site. Click here for the live game tracker.
