Basketball teams split in final home games of seasons

Photo by: Abby Bellow

 

The Oklahoma Christian University basketball programs found success and disappointment at home on Thursday and Saturday. The Lady Eagles won both their games, coming close to moving up in position in the conference standings, while the men’s team added their seventh and eight consecutive losses after close games to the final seconds.

The Lady Eagles played first against the Hillcats of Rogers State University on Thursday night. The Hillcats started out hot with their high energy level and 3-point shots, but that did not discourage Oklahoma Christian.

“Last night we were focused on coming out with a win,” junior forward Emma Gade said after Thursday’s game. “We knew that Rogers was a capable team, so we came in prepared. Rogers runs transition really well, and I think we did a great job of slowing them down. We also got out in some transition of our own.”

According to Head Coach of Women’s Basketball Stephanie Findley, the seniors were on top of their performance during Thursday’s game – specifically senior guard Krista Stevens. Stevens led the team with 13 points, followed closely by senior forward Roz Hamilton with 12.

“They have that focus, that intensity,” Findley said after Thursday’s game. “[Of] course, they play like that all the time. They are two seniors that play like that all the time, but they’ve really been getting after it lately and they’re the leaders of this team.”

The Lady Eagles had an 86-71 win over Rogers State, with five players scoring in double figures.

“We’re shooting well, we’re sharing the ball well,” Findley said.

These victories have spurred on the team; Gade expressed her excitement for last Saturday’s game against the Lions of Arkansas-Fort Smith

“We have to come out focused and prepared,” Gade said. “It’ll be a fun game.”

The Lady Eagles came prepared and fulfilled Gade’s expectations with a 74-53 win, out-rebounding UAFS. Out of the 16 team members who played, 14 grabbed at least one rebound.

Statistically, Hamilton and freshman McKenzie Stanford were at the heart of the win – each scoring 14 points. Saturday was the second to last home game of Hamilton’s career.

Hamilton is going out with a bang. With the 14 points from Saturday’s game, her scoring total is now 1,056, bumping her to 25th place on Oklahoma Christian’s all-time scoring chart.

Despite their recent wins, the Lady Eagles dropped out of the NCCAA Top 10 on Wednesday, with their overall rating slightly falling from 7.167 to 7.146. They are tied for fifth place in the Heartland Conference with St. Mary’s (Texas), and a half-game behind Newman, Kan. Oklahoma Christian leads the NCCAA in rebounds, and junior Logan McKee is second nationally in free-throw percentage (92.5 percent), making 49 of 53 from the line.

While the Lady Eagles have improved their shooting and tallied several victories, the men’s team continues to struggle. Despite their recent losses, however, they continue to play solid and gain leads – the issue lies in maintaining the lead.

“We played as a team and hit shots,” freshman center John Moon said after Thursday’s game. “Coach wanted us to focus on taking away their 3-point shooting and playing hard.”

The Eagles executed this plan for the majority of the game but fell short at the very end of the second half. With 42 seconds on the clock, the score 73-72 and the Eagles barely trailing, Rogers State won possession of the ball – staying ahead by just enough to take the victory.

According to Moon, the plan was to get some defensive stops and take good shots. The downfall, Moon said, was that the Hillcats hit shots in the closing minutes and hit their free throws.

Although the men played well, the end of the game left a bitter taste for some of the players.

“We needed to win this game for Kendre [Talley] because he is a senior, and the team and I want his last season to be a memorable one,” Moon said after the game on Thursday night.

Head Coach of Men’s Basketball Dan Hays agreed.

“I hurt for those kids in the locker room,” Hays said.  “I mean, it’s not any fun for me either.”

During Saturday’s game against Arkansas-Fort Smith in the Nest, Moon scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds. The Eagles led 67-65 after Moon hit 1-of-2 free throws with 2:35 left

The Eagles shot only 14-of-20 (70 percent) of their free throws on Saturday, compared to UAFS’s 22-of-26 free throws (84.6 percent).

“We’re going to keep working,” Hays said. “We played well. We’re close.”