OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University dropped an 86-80 decision to North Texas Dallas on Saturday at Abe Lemons Arena. 

Avery Jackson supplied the Stars with 26 points. Oklahoma City went to 6-7, 4-3 in Sooner Athletic Conference men's basketball. 

OCU sliced a 19-point deficit to five points twice in the final minute. Brandon Jackson downed a 3-pointer to cut the UNT Dallas lead to 81-76 with 27 seconds remaining, and Avery Jackson sank a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left to reduce the margin to 83-78. 

The Stars unleashed an 11-1 run to shrink their deficit to 77-69 at the 1:56 mark of the second half. Avery Jackson posted eight of those points, sparking the surge with a trey and 3-point play. Nick Bonifay sank a 3 to cap the run. 

OCU nailed 62.1 percent from the field in the second half, and UNT Dallas shot 57.6 percent in the period. North Texas Dallas recorded the best field-goal percentage by an OCU opponent this season (54.2 percent). 

Avery Jackson, a freshman political science major from Frisco, Texas, turned in his third 25-point outing of the season while notching six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Kori Guest, a senior criminal justice major from Tulsa, Okla., collected 16 points and nine rebounds, and Dravon Clayborn, a senior from Evanston, Ill., studying business administration, picked up 13 points and five rebounds for the Stars. 

OCU resumes its season against Panhandle State at 7:45 p.m. Jan. 5 in Goodwell, Okla.