8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1
Abe Lemons Arena
THE MATCHUP: Oklahoma City University hosts Mid-America Christian in a crucial Sooner Athletic Conference matchup.
Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 students and free to OCU students, faculty and staff with their ID.
ABOUT THE STARS: OCU shocked third-ranked and previously undefeated Oklahoma Baptist 69-67 on Saturday, Feb. 23 at Abe Lemons Arena. Corey Bingham hit a pair of free throws with 2.8 seconds left for the winning points. The Stars (9-5, 7-4 SAC) have won four consecutive games.
Kavon Lytch, a 6-foot-7 junior from Brooklyn, N.Y., tallied 22 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two assists to lead the Stars. Lytch is averaging 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Bingham, a 6-3 junior from Lynn, Mass., scored 19 points, including 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range. Bingham, the SAC player of the week, averages 13.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.29 steals. Chris Brown, a 6-foot senior from Spencer, Okla., added 13 points. Brown leads the team with an 18.6 scoring average.
The Stars rank fifth in the NAIA in blocked shots per game (5.21). Bryant Williams leads the SAC and ranks eighth nationally with 2.36 blocks per contest.
OCU is receiving votes in the latest NAIA Division I poll. In the preseason, the Stars were picked to finish sixth in the Sooner Athletic Conference. OCU has captured the SAC regular-season crown 13 times.
OCU has a 9-1 advantage in the all-time series with Mid-America Christian. The Stars lost 71-56 on the road to Mid-America on Dec. 12 in Oklahoma City. Brown led OCU with 20 points on 7-of-20 shooting.
ABOUT THE EVANGELS: Southern Nazarene edged Mid-America Christian 100-95 on Saturday in Oklahoma City. MACU dropped to 12-9, 8-5 in the SAC.
Brandon Williams led the Evangels with 21 points and seven assists. Williams, a 5-10 sophomore, averages 13.7 points and 3.0 assists. Charlie Shorter, a 6-foot sophomore, added 17 points. Shorter is averaging a team-high 15.7 points on the season.
Mid-America is receiving votes in the latest NAIA Division I poll. Coaches picked MACU to finish 11th 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.
Willie Holley is in his 36th season coaching at Mid-America Christian. Holley has a 713-460 career record. An NCCAA hall of famer, Holley guided Mid-America to NCCAA Division II titles in 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2007.
QUOTABLE: “Kavon did a great job, he really scored the ball well for us. He played more minutes than he normally does, and I was really pleased with his effort.” – Morrissey on Lytch
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. To get conference scores and highlights, call the SAC Hotline at (405) 878-2110.
ON THE AIR: OCU games will be broadcast regularly via the OCU athletics web site. Greg Merick will handle the play-by-play, and Andrew Himes will provide commentary. Click here to listen to the broadcast.
To watch the game live, click here and get the package labeled "vs. Mid-America Christian." To follow the game on live stats, click here.
