OCU vs. John Brown men's basketball preview

Stars enter Saturday's game 3-0 in league play

5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9
Abe Lemons Arena inside the Freede Center

THE MATCHUP: Oklahoma City University aims to remain unbeaten in Sooner Athletic Conference play in a contest against John Brown (Ark.).
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students, while OCU students, faculty and staff are allowed into all regular-season OCU athletics events for free with their ID. If the Stars score 70 points, fans will get a prize from Raising Cane's. For the OCU athletics visitors guide, click here.

ABOUT THE STARS: Oklahoma City topped Bacone 91-77 on Thursday in Muskogee, Okla. The Stars (6-3, 3-0 Sooner Athletic Conference) led from start to finish.
Terence Bonhomme, a 6-foot sophomore from St. Martinsville, La., propelled the Stars with 21 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Bonhomme snatched up SAC player of the week after averaging 24.5 points a game during Dec. 28-Jan. 3. He provides OCU with 17.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.67 steals per game.
Evan White, a 6-4 senior from San Antonio, compiled 15 points and four rebounds. White records 7.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Lou Dunbar, a 6-3 sophomore from Seabrook, Texas, had 14 points and three rebounds. Dunbar averages 11.2 points and 2.2 rebounds a game. To see how OCU ranks statistically in the NAIA, click here.
OCU picked up votes in the last national rankings. The Stars have been slotted to take sixth in the SAC according to the preseason coaches poll. Oklahoma City has won or shared the SAC regular-season championship 12 times, most recently in 2007-08. Oklahoma City owns six NAIA national championships won in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007 and 2008.
OCU owns a 29-15 record against John Brown. The Stars prevailed 81-75 on March 2, 2015 in Oklahoma City. OCU led 77-75 with 24 seconds to go, but White's free throws and a Jonathan Reed block helped seal the outcome.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES: Mid-America Christian popped John Brown 93-75 on Thursday in Oklahoma City. With a loss, John Brown (7-8, 0-3 SAC) would match its 0-4 start in conference play in 1998-99 for its worst league start.
Griffin Brady, a 6-7 senior, racked up 26 points, seven rebounds and five 3-pointers. Brady totals 16.5 points and 8.1 rebounds a contest and 44.3 percent shooting from 3-point range. Ricky Roberts, a 6-3 junior, had 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Roberts averages 16.4 points and 4.9 rebounds a game.
John Brown was ticketed for a fourth-place finish in the SAC preseason poll.

ABOUT THE COACHES: Vinay Patel embarks on his first season as OCU head coach. He came to Oklahoma City after spending one season as Rogers State's assistant coach. He aided Rogers State to a 20-8 season led by conference player of the year Frederico Santos. Patel spent nine years as assistant at West Texas A&M. During that time, West Texas went to the NCAA Division II Tournament five times, won the Lone Star Conference championship and took two Lone Star South Division titles. He elevated to the interim head-coaching position before he ended his time at West Texas A&M.
Jason Beschta enters his second season with the reins at John Brown. He has a 23-23 record at John Brown and an 85-59 overall head-coaching record. Beschta served as head coach at Oklahoma Wesleyan for three seasons.

FOLLOW THE STARS: Fans can keep up on the latest from OCU athletics through several ways.
Check out OCU athletics on several social media platforms by looking up the handle @ocustars. The Stars are on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and new for 2015-16, Instagram.
Fans can sign up to receive the latest OCU athletic headlines via e-mail by going here.
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.

ON THE AIR: OCU athletics has partnered with Stretch Internet to provide live and on-demand audio, stats and video of the Stars' games. Follow the game via live audio, stats and video by visiting OCU's Stretch portal by clicking here. Cost to watch the game is $7.95 per game, $29.95 to see all 2015-16 home games and $79.95 to watch all of OCU's action in every sport in 2015-16.
Andrew Himes calls the action. Himes, in his fifth season as the voice of the Stars, has been broadcasting OCU games for eight years starting on color commentary as an OCU student.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Terence Bonhomme: G; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#22 Lou Dunbar: G; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#2 Jonathan Ellis: G; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#12 Evan White: G; 6' 4"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#5 Terence Bonhomme
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: G

#22 Lou Dunbar
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: G

#2 Jonathan Ellis
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: G

#12 Evan White
: 6' 4"; Senior
: G