7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 29
Mabee Fieldhouse in Kansas City, Mo.
THE MATCHUP: Oklahoma City University visits Avila (Mo.) for its first regular-season road contest of the season. The Stars make the road game of the home-and-home series with Avila.
ABOUT THE STARS: OCU picked up its first Sooner Athletic Conference victory of the season 77-73 over Mid-America Christian on Tuesday, Nov. 23 at Abe Lemons Arena. The Stars (7-0) overcame a 12-point deficit in the final 11:10. OCU shot 54.2 percent from the field and 10-of-14 from the free-throw line in the second half.
Johnny Stephene, a 6-foot-1 junior from Boynton Beach, Fla., recorded team highs in points (18) and assists (four) as well as two steals. Stephene sank 7 of 11 shots from the field and 3-for-4 from beyond the 3-point line. Stephene leads OCU with 13.9 points a game while also averaging 3.1 assists and 1.14 steals.
Brandon Moton, a 6-3 junior from Beaumont, Texas, chipped in 15 points, four rebounds and three assists. Moton posts 13.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists a contest while shooting a team-high 82.6 percent on free throws. Nate Flowers, a 6-5 senior from Waldorf, Md., had 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. He shot 5-for-6 from the floor and added two assists and two steals. Flowers averages 12.6 points and a team-high 11.3 rebounds a game, ranking sixth nationally in rebounding.
OCU leads the NAIA in assists a game (23.3), victory margin (39.7 points a game) and rebounding margin (21.3 per game). To see where OCU stacks up statistically in the NAIA, click here.
The Stars received votes in the preseason national rankings. OCU has been picked to finish fifth in the SAC according to league coaches. Six-time national champion OCU has captured the SAC regular-season crown 13 times.
OCU won 95-71 over Avila on Nov. 11 at Abe Lemons Arena in the first meeting ever between the two programs.
ABOUT THE EAGLES: Avila prevailed 90-54 over Ottawa (Kan.) on Nov. 23 in Ottawa, Kan. Avila (2-5) shot 70 percent from the floor.
Ben Dierkes, a 6-3 junior, had 19 points and three steals against Ottawa. He also dropped in five 3s. Dierkes averages 5.6 points a game. Jason Haase, a 6-7 junior, recorded 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals Tuesday. Haase chips in 5.6 points a game. Quinton Branch, a 6-1 senior, leads Avila with 15.7 points and 1.86 steals a game. Collectively, Avila averages 9.6 3-pointers a game to rank third in the NAIA.
Avila was predicted to finish ninth in the 11-team Heart of America Athletic Conference before the season.
ABOUT THE COACHES: Kevin Morrissey has posted a 39-26 record in his third season at OCU. 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.
Rodney Perry took over the Avila program this season. Avila went 10-19 last season.
QUOTABLE: “We were 2-for-4 from the free-throw line in the first half. We had to get to the free-throw line.” – Morrissey on OCU's performance against Mid-America Christian
FOLLOW THE STARS: Fans can keep up on the latest on OCU athletics through several ways.
Be sure to catch the OCU Athletics Update video program weekly on ocusports.com, the OCU YouTube Channel or on OCU Athletics' Facebook page. Click here to see the latest edition or see our video channel in the upper right-hand corner of our home page.
Listen to past game broadcasts and pregame and postgame interviews on the OCU pod center by clicking here.
Know when the game is happening by calling the OCU athletics hotline at (405) 208-5400.
ON THE AIR: Live audio and stats will be provided for the game. Click here for the audio and here for the live stats.
