OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University crushed Ozark Christian (Mo.) 101-59 in its men's basketball regular-season debut Saturday at Abe Lemons Arena.
The Stars led by as many as 43 points. OCU surpassed 100 points for the third time in third-year coach Kevin Morrissey's tenure.
OCU last topped 100 points in a 108-78 victory over Dallas Christian on Nov. 7, 2009 at Abe Lemons Arena also during OCU homecoming.
Dee Proby, a senior from Round Rock, Texas, compiled 20 points and seven rebounds to lead five double-figure scorers for OCU. Proby sank 7 of 8 shots from the field.
Johnny Stephene picked up 14 points, three assists and four steals, and Shane Rogers added 13 points, four assists and two steals for the Stars. Rogers hit all six of his shots from the floor.
Kaleb Smith tallied 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes, while Nate Flowers contributed 11 points, 12 rebounds and three assists for OCU.
“Everyone got to play,” Morrissey said. “We shared the ball. We did a good job working the ball inside in the second half. We didn't take care of the ball. We had to go inside out.”
OCU sank 58 percent of its shots, 62.2 percent in the first half. The Stars held sizeable advantages in rebounding (46-27), points in the paint (60-18), points off turnovers (38-13), bench points (35-19), second-chance points (19-5) and points in transition (20-0).
Ozark Christian committed 29 turnovers and shot 39.7 percent from the field.
Stephene's free throws capped a 9-0 run to provide OCU its largest lead to that point at 54-26 with 11 seconds left in the first. Flowers' putback of his own miss sparked the Stars' surge with 2:56 left.
Ismai'l Calhoun sank two free throws for a 99-56 lead and OCU's largest advantage of the game with 1:11 remaining in the game.
OCU faces Southeastern Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. Monday at Abe Lemons Arena.
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