OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University upended 11th-ranked Oklahoma Christian 73-50 on Thursday at the Eagles Nest in the Backyard Brawl.
OCU posted its first road victory of the season in moving to 6-5, 4-4 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Oklahoma Christian, ranked 11th in NAIA Division I men's basketball, fell to 15-2, 7-2.
Chris Brown, a senior from Spencer, Okla., sparked the Stars with 19 points, while Corey Bingham, a junior from Lynn, Mass., notched 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Kavon Lytch had 14 points and three steals off the pine, and Jerome Phillips contributed 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals.
“I felt we were talented enough to do that,” OCU coach Kevin Morrissey said of springing the upset win. “We have a long ways to go. I challenged the guys after we lost to John Brown to play better defensively, and we did.
“I challenged Chris Brown on his shot selection, and he played better. He and Jerome Phillips showed great senior leadership.”
The Stars harassed Oklahoma Christian into 13 first-half turnovers while limiting themselves to four turnovers.
OCU scored the game's first seven points. Brown knocked in a bucket to put the Stars up 17-7, then drove to the basket for a layup to build OCU's lead to 23-10.
Phillips' lay-in off Al Graham's behind-the-back pass put the Stars ahead 32-15. Bingham sank a 3-pointer from the corner to give OCU a 35-15 advantage with 5:09 left in the first half.
“It was just a big win,” Brown said. “We talked this week about coming out and playing hard defensively as a team and to be focused. We knew we had to with Jason Taylor and their guards.”
Taylor, the SAC player of the year last season, and Andre Vaughn led Oklahoma Christian with 17 points each.
Phillips converted a steal into a layup to put the Stars up 52-29 with 16 minutes remaining. Brown's basket with 1:29 gave OCU its largest lead of the game at 73-46.
“It boosts our confidence,” Brown said. “It gives us confidence that we can beat anybody in the conference.”
OCU meets Northwestern Oklahoma State at 8 p.m. Saturday in Alva, Okla.
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