Mistakes prove fatal for Eagles' comeback attempt

Luis Lopez passing the ball — Sophomore Luis Lopez passes the ball in the Jan. 31 game against Texas A&M International. *Photo by Roxi Gonzalez*

Early-game fouls and turnovers sealed the fate of the Eagles against Newman University in the 100-76 loss on Thursday.

Freshman Cameron Peters said despite coming off a previous win on Saturday, the team would need to focus on the Jets’ strengths in order to win again.

“We have had a good week of practice and preparation,” Peters said before the game. “The hardest part of playing Newman will be limiting their perimeter shots.”

Men’s Basketball Head Coach Dan Hays said a string of fouls early in the game became an obstacle for the team, and they struggled to hold their ground offensively.

“Elijah got those three fouls and had to sit half of the first half, and that really hurt us,” Hays said. “We were playing pretty well until then but we just couldn’t keep them out of transition. They pushed the ball really well and we just couldn’t stop them.”

The Eagles initially held Newman within reach, but the Jets pulled away 10 minutes into the first half and wouldn’t look back. Shooting nearly 49 percent to the Eagles’ 40 percent, the Jets led 51-34 at halftime.

The second half provided a second chance, and Oklahoma Christian University took it. Bumping up their shooting to 57.1 percent, the Eagles pushed down Newman to 46.5 percent and knocked in 42 points in an effort to make a comeback.

But critical turnovers compromised Oklahoma Christian’s offensive success. The Eagles turned over the ball 19 times, including 14 Newman steals in the game.

Hays said the turnovers were unacceptable and hurt the team’s comeback attempt.

“A lot of turnovers led to baskets by [Newman] and we can’t compensate for that,” Hays said. “They’re quick and tall, and they took advantage [of that].”

John Moon scored 24 points with two blocks and six rebounds. Strickland worked through four fouls during the game, contributing 14 points, including all four of the Eagles’ 3-pointers, and eight rebounds before sitting out.

Jordan Box added 13 points with two assists for Oklahoma Christian, and Eric Randall grabbed eight rebounds and contributed 10 points, shooting 4-4 at the free-throw line.

Josh Faurot recorded six points, Peters added five, and Jordan Rutherford made four points.

Oklahoma Christian hosts Dallas Baptist University on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.