OKLAHOMA CITY – Five Stars scored in double-figures as Oklahoma City University cruised to a 101-74 victory over Ecclesia (Ark.) Friday night in the Mid-America Christian Classic.
Samuel Williams, a 6-8 senior from Reno, Nev., was all over the court for the Stars on Friday. When he wasn't deflecting passes or snagging rebounds, Williams was going to work on the block and finishing around the rim. He finished with a game-high 23 points to go along with nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.
Elijah Christman, a 6-5 junior from Justin, Texas, added 17 points, six rebounds and three assists in the win. It was a season-high in all three of those categories for Christman, who ended the two-game tilt in the Mid-America Christian Classic with a total of 28 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
"He's a very confident player in practice, he can really shoot the basketball, he's very athletic, and he's tough," OCU head coach Vinay Patel said of Christman. "His best attribute is his toughness. That's why I think the six rebounds stands out – he can battle with some of the biggest guys for some of those. I think Elijah's really going to be able to help us this year."
Also finishing with double-digits in the scoring column for OCU was Ridell Camidge with 18, Terence Bonhomme with 13 and Walter Rickett with 12.
The Stars set the tone defensively in the first half, forcing Ecclesia into 13 turnovers and turned those turnovers into 20 points. OCU also held the Royals to 34.5 percent shooting after the contest's first 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the Stars shot 57.5 percent from the field in the first half, including 46.2 percent from behind the arc.
Oklahoma City kept up the pace in the second half, constantly turning Ecclesia turnovers into easy baskets. The Stars dominated the Royals in points in the paint (52-20) and fast break points (18-2). Ecclesia had no answers for the OCU offense.
"Right now I feel like we're a team that if our offense plays really well, our defense plays really well," Patel said. "Our defense is something that needs to be a constant, no matter what's happening on offense. Whether we play well offensively or not, we should always be able to defend the other team."
Oklahoma City plays next at 7 p.m. Monday against Randall at Abe Lemons Arena.