8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14
Eagles Nest in Oklahoma City
THE MATCHUP: Oklahoma City University will face cross-town rival Oklahoma Christian on the road in the Backyard Brawl.
ABOUT THE STARS: John Brown (Ark.) outlasted OCU 69-64 on Saturday at Abe Lemons Arena. The Stars (5-5, 3-4 in Sooner Athletic Conference) failed to overcome poor shooting from the free-throw line. OCU made just 10 of 21 attempts, including 5 of 11 in the second half.
Kavon Lytch, a junior from Brooklyn, N.Y., led the Stars with 26 points and nine rebounds on 12-of-17 shooting from the field. Corey Bingham, a junior from Lynn, Mass., was OCU's only other player in double figures with 16 points and nine rebounds. Bingham, who has averaged 16.6 points the past three games, averages 12.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.30 steals a game.
Chris Brown, a senior from Spencer, Okla., leads the team in scoring with 19.5 points per game. The Stars rank second in NAIA Division I with 5.80 blocks per game led by Bryant Williams' 2.80 a game.
In the preseason, the Stars have been picked to finish sixth in the Sooner Athletic Conference. OCU has captured the SAC regular-season crown 13 times.
The Stars are 43-18 against Oklahoma Christian over the years. OCU split two games with Oklahoma Christian a year ago. The Stars dropped a 74-70 decision on Feb. 28 at the Eagles Nest.
ABOUT THE EAGLES: Oklahoma Christian drubbed USAO 75-50 on Saturday in Chickasha, Okla. The Eagles (15-1, 7-1 in the SAC) had four double-digit scorers.
Jason Taylor, a 6-8 senior, recorded a double-double with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Taylor, the reigning SAC player of the year, leads the team with 16.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and 0.57 blocks a game. Chad Endres, a 6-6 junior, added 17 points and eight rebounds. Endres averages 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds a game.
The Eagles, ranked 11th in NAIA Division I, were picked to finish third in the SAC preseason poll.
ABOUT THE COACHES: Kevin Morrissey enters his first full season as OCU head coach. Morrissey spent the previous 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.
Dan Hays has posted a 564-299 record in his 27th season with Oklahoma Christian. Hays, an NAIA hall of Famer, has led OC to six conference championships and seven national-tournament appearances.
QUOTABLE: "Most of their guys have been playing together for three years. They've got great chemistry on the court and one of the best players in the country with Jason Taylor. Everything starts with stopping him.” – Morrissey on Oklahoma Christian
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. Get conference scores and highlights by calling the SAC Hotline (405) 878-2110.
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 and video courtesy of Oklahoma Christian. Click here for the live game tracker and here to see the game.
