KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Carroll (Mont.) knocked Oklahoma City University out of the NAIA Division I men's basketball championship tournament 80-69 on Friday morning at Municipal Auditorium.
Elijah Christman, a senior from Justin, Texas, provided the Stars with 14 points and six rebounds. Oklahoma City, ranked 25th, finished its season 22-11.
In 2018-19, the Stars captured the program's 10th Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament championship, posted their third consecutive 20-win season, won in the first round of the NAIA Championship Tournament and reached the second round of the national championship tournament for the second year in a row.
OCU advanced to the NAIA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season and 25th time overall. OCU's record in NAIA Tournament play went to 49-18.
Joe Clarke, a senior from New Rochelle, N.Y., collected 12 points, five rebounds and three steals for the Stars. Anthony Davis, a junior from Lewisville, Texas, picked up 11 points, while Chris Williams, a senior from Denver, produced 11 points and five rebounds.
Carroll, ranked 11th, came up a crucial run late. Clarke nabbed a steal, then scored in transition to slice OCU's deficit to 68-66 with 2:55 remaining. The Saints (27-7) responded with a 9-0 surge. Dane Warp had five of those points, including a free throw to put Carroll ahead 77-66 with 51 seconds left.
The Stars cut the Carroll advantage to one point twice in the final 7:17, but Carroll maintained its lead. Christman scored to reduce the Carroll edge to 59-58 with 7:17 left. Williams' lay-in shrank the Saints' lead to 61-60 with 5:56 to go.
Oklahoma City's senior group of Christman, Clarke, Williams, Mark Howell, Eric McCollum and Tylar Smith contributed to three national-tournament appearances, the SAC Tournament title this season and the SAC regular-season crown in 2017-18.