7:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 6
Abe Lemons Arena inside the Freede Center
THE MATCHUP
• Oklahoma City University returns to the court for the first time in 2022 with a Sooner Athletic Conference men's basketball showdown against Mid-America Christian
• Both the Stars' games scheduled since the start of the New Year have been canceled due to health and safety protocols
• Tickets cost $7 for adults and $5 for students. All tickets must be purchased via OCU's HomeTown Ticketing portal. No tickets are to be purchased via cash on site. OCU students, faculty and staff gain admission to all OCU regular-season home athletics events free of charge with their ID
• Fans will be required to wear masks in place over their faces while observing social distancing. No concessions will be offered
ABOUT THE STARS
• Oklahoma City dropped a 78-71 decision to Paul Quinn (Texas) on Dec. 11 at Abe Lemons Arena. The Stars (6-8, 5-2 SAC) permitted Paul Quinn to shoot 46 percent from the field for the second highest field-goal percentage by an OCU opponent this season
• Romario Spence, a 6-foot-7 senior from Luton, England, posted 18 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks for his fourth double-double of the season against Paul Quinn. Spence shot 8-for-10 from the free-throw line. Spence snatched up SAC player of the week after averaging 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.00 blocked shots a contest during the week of Dec. 6-12. Spence delivers 12.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.25 blocks per game with a 57.7 percent field-goal percentage this season
• Kori Guest, a 6-6 junior from Tulsa, Okla., added 14 points and eight rebounds. Guest canned a 3-pointer that put OCU ahead for the first time against Paul Quinn 49-48 with 12:53 remaining. Guest supplies the Stars with 11.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in 2021-22
• Oklahoma City ranks second among the NAIA by limiting foes to a 24.2 percent 3-point shooting clip this season
• The Stars took the eighth spot in the preseason SAC 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
• OCU leads the all-time series against Mid-America Christian 20-14. The Stars fell to Mid-America Christian 84-76 on Feb. 6, 2021 at Abe Lemons Arena, in the most recent encounter. Rashaun Coleman provided Oklahoma City with 17 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals
ABOUT THE EVANGELS
• Mid-America Christian secured an 84-75 win over North Texas Dallas on Monday inside the Gaulke Activity Center in Oklahoma City. The Evangals (8-7, 1-6 SAC) halted a four-game losing skid overall and a six-game losing streak in conference play
• Omar Boone, Isaiah Hammons and Carlos Slaughter each had 14 points. Hammons, a 6-5 senior, added seven assists and four steals. Hammons averages 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.06 steals per game this season
• Mid-America Christian came in third place in the preseason SAC coaches poll
MEET THE COACHES
Mark Berokoff (first season with OCU)
• 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 regularly challenged SAC squads and defeated OCU twice during that time
• 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
Josh Gamblin (137-65, seventh season with Mid-America Christian)
• Gamblin grabbed the SAC coach of the year while leading Mid-America Christian to a 30-win season and the conference regular-season championship in 2019-20. Gamblin notched his 100th career victory Jan. 4, 2020 against John Brown (Ark.)
• In his first season with Mid-America Christian, Gamblin took the Evangels to their first ever NAIA national championship, defeating No. 1-ranked Georgetown (Ky.) 100-99 in overtime March 22, 2016. He became the youngest coach (27) in college basketball history to win a national championship at a four-year institution. Gamblin collected the 2015-16 Rawlings-NAIA Division I coach of the year and also has received the Dr. James Naismith-Emil S. Liston Sports Award
• He joined Mid-America after a tenure at the University of Oklahoma, where Gamblin was a graduate assistant under head coach Lon Kruger
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
