6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30
Dr. Jerry E. Alexander Arena | McPherson, Kan.
THE MATCHUP
• Oklahoma City University hits the court for the first time since attaining the No. 1 national ranking at Central Christian (Kan.)
• With an 18-0 record, the Stars own their best start since opening the 2002-03 season 34-0. OCU fell in the national championship game 71-70 to Southern Nazarene on March 25, 2003 in Jackson, Tenn.
ABOUT THE STARS
• Oklahoma City held off Mid-America Christian 82-64 on Saturday at Abe Lemons Arena. The Stars (18-0, 10-0 Sooner Athletic Conference) overcame a 39-37 third-quarter deficit with a 7-0 surge
• Abby Selzer, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Thomas, Okla., generated 22 points and 10 rebounds while logging 21 minutes on the floor. Selzer shot 9-for-9 from the field and 4-for-5 from the foul line. She nabbed SAC player of the week after averaging 18.5 points and 10 rebounds a game during Jan. 20-26. Selzer collects 17.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while hitting 66.1 percent of her shots from the floor, which leads the nation
• Erika Ankney, a 5-9 sophomore from Harrah, Okla., supplied OCU with a season-high 19 points while grabbing four rebounds and three steals. She is averaging 14.7 points a game over the past three contests. Ankney puts together 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.94 steals a game while shooting 41 percent from 3-point land
• OCU ranks No. 1 in NAIA Division I in field-goal percentage (46.3 percent) and free-throw shooting (79.1 percent). Mallory Lockhart leads the NAIA with 74 treys and 4.11 3-pointers per game. To see how the Stars rate among NAIA Division I statistically, click here
• Oklahoma City reached No. 1 in the latest NAIA Division I rankings. The Stars took all nine No. 1 votes and 219 points. OCU holds the NAIA's longest streak of top-25 appearances with its 258th consecutive national ranking dating back to 1997-98. OCU has made 25 trips, including 22 consecutive appearances, to the NAIA Division I Tournament and captured nine national championships in 1988, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017
• The Stars tied for first in the SAC preseason coaches poll. Oklahoma City took its 19th SAC regular-season championship last season. OCU has won or shared nine of the last 10 league titles, going 230-22 (.913 winning percentage) within SAC play since 2007-08
• OCU has gone unbeaten against Central Christian in six all-time meetings
• The Stars crushed Central Christian 75-59 on Jan. 4 at Abe Lemons Arena in the last encounter. OCU built a 33-9 advantage early. Shamika Smith notched season highs with 15 points and eight assists
ABOUT THE LADY TIGERS
• Central Christian dropped a 62-42 decision to Texas Wesleyan on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. The Lady Tigers (5-12, 2-8 SAC) led by nine early in the second quarter, but mustered 13 second-half points
• Zenith Hernandez, a 5-7 senior, had 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and two thefts. Hernandez averages 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.47 steals a game
• Central Christian accumulate 11.06 steals a game to rank 19th nationally
• The Lady Tigers were picked to take 11th in the 11-team SAC before the season
MEET THE COACHES
Bo Overton (133-22, fifth season with OCU)
• Led Stars to a 33-5 season with the SAC regular-season crown and an NAIA DI tournament championship trip in 2018-19
• Overton has coached four all-Americans while at OCU, including Daniela Wallen, the 2017 NAIA DI player of the year, and Daniela Galindo, the 2018 WBCA NAIA player of the year
• Overton served as an assistant coach for the Chinese national team in the 2012 Olympic games
• From 1998-2004, Overton served as an assistant for Oklahoma. The Sooners made five NCAA Tournament appearances during that time, with a 2002 NCAA runner-up finish and Final Four berth. He also earned three Big 12 regular-season titles and two conference tournament championships throughout his six years
• Overton collected his 150th career win coaching women's college basketball 85-70 over Southwestern Assemblies of God on Jan. 11 in Waxahachie, Texas. He has a 155-69 mark in seven years as a head women's basketball coach
• Overton landed his first ever whoopdirt.com coach of the week honor during the week of Jan. 13-19
Marc Golden (9-66, third season with Central Christian)
• Directed the Lady Tigers to their first SAC victory 105-49 over Bacone on Jan. 5, 2019 in Muskogee, Okla.
• Guided Fort Myers Evangelical Christian (Fla.) to a 42-11 record and back-to-back district titles in three years
• Spent four years as an assistant at Baptist Bible (Mo.), his alma mater
• Coached two National Christian College Athletic Association all-Americans at Baptist Bible
ON THE AIR
• Central Christian offers live video and stats of the game here
• Fans can access regular-season broadcasts from NAIA institutions as well as from NAIA Championships postseason contests via Stretch Internet through custom apps on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Users can search for "NAIA" on the app interfaces on any compatible device, and then download the free NAIA Network app
