7:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20
Abe Lemons Arena inside the Freede Center 

THE MATCHUP

• Oklahoma City University concludes a three-game homestand by facing Central Christian (Kan.) on Thursday night at Abe Lemons Arena.  
• OCU defeated CCCK 72-60 earlier this season in McPherson, Kan. Four Stars scored in double-figures in that win, with senior guard Ryan Birt leading the way with 22 points and senior guard Rashaun Coleman contributing 21 points.
• With that win, OCU improved to 6-2 in the all-time series against Central Christian. The Stars have won five of the last six match-ups with CCCK's last win being a 74-67 home win on Jan. 23, 2021.

ABOUT THE STARS

• Oklahoma City (8-10,7-4 SAC) had its two-game winning streak snapped with a 93-75 set-back to Science & Arts on Saturday at Abe Lemons Arena. The game went back-and-forth with OCU holding a 70-69 lead with just under seven minutes remaining before S&A ended the contest with a 24-5 run to secure the win.
• Senior guard Rashaun Coleman was named Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week after averaging 22.5 points in 6.5 rebounds in two games played, an overtime win over Texas Wesleyan the loss to S&A. He also totaled eight assists and four steals while playing all 85 minutes over the two-game stretch. In the overtime win over TWU, Coleman contributed a team-high 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.
• Coleman leads the team and ranks seventh in the SAC in scoring (16.1 ppg) while leading the Stars and ranking fourth in the conference in assists (3.3 apg).
• Senior forward Romario Spence contributed his sixth double-double of the season in the loss to S&A, finishing with 15 points and 12 rebounds. He ranks fourth in the conference in rebounding (8.7 rpg) and blocked shots (1.3 bpg).  
• OCU had its third-best shooting outing of the season against S&A, making 45.3% of its field goal attempts (29 of 64). The Stars made 60.6% percent of their attempts in a win over Langston and 56.5 of their attempts in a win over Champion Christian (Ark.) earlier this year.
• OCU ranks ninth in the SAC in team offense (72.9 ppg) and eighth in team defense (74.1 ppg).
• The Stars took the eighth spot in the preseason SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. OCU owns 13 SAC regular-season championships and 10 SAC Tournament titles. Oklahoma City has advanced to the NAIA Division I Championship Tournament 25 times all-time and has won six national championships in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007 and 2008

 
ABOUT THE TIGERS

• Central Christian (10-9, 4-8) brings a five-game losing streak into Thursday's contest. The Tigers dropped a 84-82 decision to Southwestern Christian in their last game on Saturday.
• Senior Darrell Bryant led the way in the loss with a team-high 20 points and 13 rebounds.
• CCCK out-rebounded SCU 44-28 in the loss.
• Junior Isaiah Rivera ranks first on the squad and 11th in the SAC in scoring (14.7 ppg).
• CCCK ranks fifth in the SAC in team offense (76.7 ppg) and ninth in team defense (74.6 ppg).

ABOUT THE COACHES

Mark Berokoff (first season with OCU, 8-9)
• Mark Berokoff guided Randall to three national championships and a national runner-up finish in nine years as head coach of the Saints. Berokoff's record with Randall was 147-122. Randall • Berokoff coached five national player of the year honorees, 16 all-Americans, three national tournament outstanding player award winners and one scholar all-American with Randall. Berkoff was two-time national coach of the year
• Berokoff's coaching career includes experience on the high school, college and professional levels. His combined head-coaching record over 19 years in the college and prep ranks is 372-199
 
Tony Romero (218-166, 13th season with CCCK) 
• Notched his 200th career win Oct. 31, 2020 in a 93-61 victory over Calvary (Mo.) in McPherson, Kan.
• Took over at Central Christian's head coach for the 2009-10 season after spending the previous five seasons on the Tigers' bench as an assistant
• Played at CCCK from 2000-04 where he collected all-conference acclaim from the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference as a senior
• An Oklahoma City native, Romero graduated from Del City High School in 2000
 
ON THE AIR

• Oklahoma City University athletics provides live and on-demand audio and video of its contests on OCU's BlueFrame platform as well as live statistics. Cost to watch OCU athletics live is $4.99 per game, while there is a men's basketball season pass available for $52
• Andrew Himes calls the action. Himes enters his 11th season as the voice of the Stars and has been broadcasting OCU basketball for 14 years starting on color commentary as an OCU student 
• OCU has partnered with BlueFrame Technology to create the OCU Sports Network. To watch live video, fans can find the Stars' BlueFrame platform over the web on the SAC Network along with streaming apps for mobile devices (iOS and Android) and televisions including Amazon Fire Tablet, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku. The app can be found and installed by searching for the SAC Network