3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7
Hutcherson Center in Plainview, Texas
THE MATCHUP: Oklahoma City University faces Sooner Athletic Conference foe Wayland Baptist (Texas) in road contest.
ABOUT THE STARS: OCU, the two-time defending NAIA Division I men's basketball champion, fell to Lubbock Christian (Texas) 74-59 on Thursday at Rip Griffin Center. The Stars are now 13-9, 6-8 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
Richard Jackson, a 6-foot senior from Bronx, N.Y., led the Stars with 12 points. Jackson records 13.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists a game.
Na'Vonta Kentle, a 6-8 senior from Pine Bluff, Ark., followed with 11 points and five rebounds. Kentle is averaging 9.5 points and 4.9 rebounds a game. Jamel White added eight points to the effort as well as grabbing 11 rebounds for the Stars. White, a 6-4 junior from Brooklyn, N.Y., averages 13.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
DaVell Jackson, a 6-1 junior from Las Vegas, contributed nine points and seven rebounds, and Marlon Jones, a 6-10 senior from Greenville, N.C., chipped in nine points and five boards for OCU. DaVell Jackson dishes out a team-high 4.6 assists a game, while Jones averages a team-high 5.9 rebounds a game.
The Stars were picked as the preseason favorite to win the SAC. OCU has won the last three conference titles.
OCU has gone 30-8 in the overall series against Wayland Baptist. The Stars were defeated by Wayland Baptist 74-71 on Jan. 3 at Abe Lemons Arena. Wayland Baptist snapped OCU's seven-game win streak in the series.
ABOUT THE PIONEERS: Wayland Baptist defeated Mid-America Christian 62-59 in overtime Thursday at the Hutcherson Center. The Pioneers improved to 13-9, 5-9 in the SAC. Bobby Watkins led Wayland Baptist with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Joao Terra followed with 13 points, and Jon Hurt chipped in 11 points and 11 boards.
Teddy Chambers, a 6-6 junior, paces the Pioneers, averaging 14 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Watkins, a 6-5 freshman, averages 9.9 points per game.
Wayland Baptist was picked to finish ninth in the conference according to league coaches in the preseason.
ABOUT THE COACHES: Kevin Morrissey embarks on his first season as OCU head coach. Morrissey spent the past four seasons as St. Gregory's coach. He also has been an assistant at Missouri State and Texas-Pan American. Morrissey played his college ball at Oklahoma Baptist and Oral Roberts and high school at Bishop McGuinness in Oklahoma City.
Robert Davenport has coached Wayland Baptist to a 45-39 record in his third season in Plainview, Texas. Davenport has previously been head coach at Texas-Pan American, LeTourneau (Texas) and Missouri Baptist.
OCU ATHLETICS PODCENTER NOW AVAILABLE: If you want to listen to past game broadcasts and pregame and postgame interviews with Coach Morrissey, go to the OCU athletics prodcenter. Go here, then iTunes will open. Then click on athletics and men's basketball.
GIVE THE HOTLINE A CALL: Fans can follow the Stars via the OCU Athletic Hotline at (405) 208-5400. Get the score and highlights after the game on the hotline. Call the SAC Hotline at (405) 878-2110 for league scores.
ON THE AIR: Click here for live stats of the game.
