Defense Leads Bison to Huge Win Over SNU

SHAWNEE - A brilliant defensive effort along with big games from Brantly Thompson and Harrison Stoddart gave the Oklahoma Baptist men's basketball team a 73-58 victory over rival Southern Nazarene on Monday evening inside the Noble Complex.

The Bison were 26 of 58 (45%) from the field, including a red-hot 12 of 32 (38%) from beyond the arc. OBU was especially good in the second half as they knocked down seven 3-pointers and were 50 percent from the field. 

On the other end, SNU shot a season-low 36 percent from the field while OBU flipped the script from beyond the arc, holding the Crimson Storm to 24 percent on only six made 3-pointers.

OBU turned over SNU 14 times while matching a season-low in giveaways with 11 on the night. The Bison also held a 12-2 advantage in second chance points.

It was a slow start for both offenses as Harrison Stoddart scored the first two baskets to tie the game at four a piece. The Bison scored the next five points on a 3-pointer from Jaquan Simms and a third basket from Stoddart to lead 9-4.

After a lay-in to cut it to 9-6, OBU got a 3-pointer from Jordan Thompson and a lay-in from Justin Tene to move ahead 12-6. The Bison pushed the lead out to 20-11 on back-to-back 3-pointers from Brantly Thompson and Tene. 

Sayvon Milton got in the mix to give OBU their first double-digit lead at 22-11 before five straight SNU points got it back to six. SNU clawed back into it late in the first half as they got the margin down to four thanks to a 3-pointer plus a foul on the floor that led to free throws. 

Stoddart closed the half with another lay up and the Bison took a 32-26 lead into the break, using a strong defensive effort to stifle the Storm.

SNU scored the first four points of the second half to make it a two point game, but OBU erupted with an 8-0 run thanks to 3-pointers from Stoddart and Brantly Thompson, as well as a lay-in from Nigel Wilcox.

SNU got a lay up to get it back to eight, but a second 3-pointer from Thompson opened the game back to 11 points. 

The Crimson Storm again closed the gap, getting it back down to six, but Wilcox went to work in the paint including a massive put back dunk followed by a lay-in and a 3-pointer from Jaquan Simms to push the lead back out to 11 and 53-42.

As SNU tried to make another push, back-to-back 3-pointers from Trey Green and Brantly Thompson pushed the lead to 13. The Crimson Storm tried to battle back, but the Bison defense was too much as they held SNU to no field goals in the final 3:47.

Wilcox put the game away for good with a ferocious alley oop that brought the house down and got the lead to a game-high 16 points.

Brantly Thompson was terrific with 20 points plus seven assists to one turnover, while Stoddart added 15 points and 11 rebounds to go with four assists and three blocks. Wilcox added nine points and five boards while Jordan Thompson had nine points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Jaquan Simms scored eight and had five boards, while Tene hit a career-high in a Bison uniform with seven points and two boards.

Adokiye Iyaye led SNU with 20 points while Mo Wilson II added eight points, seven rebounds, and five assists. After scoring 32 points, including eight 3-pointers in Bethany against the Bison, the OBU defense held Manny Dixon to seven points on 3 of 12 shooting and only one 3-pointer.

The Bison move to 4-3 overall and 4-2 in the GAC, just a half-game back of Southwestern Oklahoma State. OBU will welcome SWOSU into the Noble Complex on Thursday evening as they look to overtake the top spot in the Western Division. The Bison took the first meeting in Weatherford by the score of 74-72.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from the Noble Complex on the Bison Sports Network.