SHAWNEE – A few days after taking down Washburn inside the Noble Complex, Oklahoma Baptist (2-2, 0-0 GAC) will travel to Canyon, Texas, for a Saturday afternoon matchup with #25 West Texas A&M (1-2, 0-0 LSC) to wrap up its DII non-conference slate. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 pm inside the First United Bank Center on the Campus of West Texas A&M.
Saturday's contest will be live-streamed on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network. Fans can purchase a $10 daily pass that will provide access to the game.
OBU will take on WT for the eighth time in program history. The Buffs lead the all-time series 6-1, including two wins in the Bison's Division II era (2020, 2021). The programs met for the first time in 1937, resulting in a 33-31 OBU victory.
Oklahoma Baptist returns to the hardwood after a hard-fought 78-63 home victory over the Ichabods on Tuesday night. The Bison posted a 54.9 percent field-goal percentage and netted 10 triples at a 52.6 percent shooting clip from beyond the arc.
The triumph marked the third victory over an MIAA opponent inside the Noble Complex in the Division II era and the second straight win over Washburn.
Six Bison reached double figures in the game for the first time since 2021 when OBU defeated Southwestern Oklahoma State 101-98 in the 2020-21 regular-season finale. Nigel Wilcox, the only active Bison on that squad, registered 13 points.
Oklahoma Baptist is shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc through four contests. In OBU's wins over Missouri Western and Washburn, the Bison shot over 50 percent from the field and tallied at least 10 steals. Furthermore, the green and gold outscored its opponents 80-49 in the second half during the two-game span.
Point guard Paul King paces the Bison in scoring at 18.3 points per game, assists (18), and is tied for the most free-throw makes (10). Trey Doomes isn't far behind at 15.5 points per game, shooting 50 percent from the field. Doomes adds 10 assists, eight steals, and two blocks. Each has reached double figures in every contest this season.
Up next is D.J. Freeman, the most versatile man on the court. Freeman is averaging 12.8 points per game at a 71.4 percent shooting clip while leading OBU in rebounds (32), steals (9), and blocks (6).
Junior guard Trey Green is off to the best start of his career after not scoring a point through the season's first two contests. He averages 7.5 points per game and has knocked down the second-most three pointers on the team. Green is seven three-point makes away from surpassing his 2021-22 total (13) and 19 away from tying his single-season best (26) recorded in 2020-21.
Freshman Joshua Udoumoh has contributed valuable minutes, averaging 3.5 ppg in 10.3 minutes of work per game. Udoumoh has shot 6-10 (60%) from the field and is 2-2 from three-point range. The Tulsa, Okla., native adds two steals, a block, and a couple of rebounds.
SCOUTING THE BUFFS
West Texas A&M previewed at No. 25 on this week's D2SIDA Men's Basketball Division II Media Poll and were two spots outside of the NABC Top 25 rankings with 47 points after starting the season 1-2.
The Buffs lone win came on Monday against Oklahoma Panhandle State, 105-72. Before, WT suffered two losses to No. 1 Northwest Missouri State and Florida Southern College in the SCB Hall of Fame Classic.
WT was picked as the Lone Star Conference preseason favorite, hoping to claim its sixth consecutive LSC Tournament title.
Five Buffs are averaging double figures, led by Damion Thorton and Larry Wise. Thorton, who transferred to West Texas after spending three seasons with Southwestern Oklahoma State, averages 18.0 ppg. He shoots a scorching 66.7 percent from the field and leads the team in steals (5).
Wise, a junior guard out of Waxahachie, Texas, is at 16.3 ppg. He leads the Buffs from beyond the arc (10), shooting 43.5 percent, and is tied for the team lead in rebounds (15). Preseason LSC Player of the Year, Julius Brown, trails at 16.0 ppg with seven assists in two games of action.
Head coach Tom Brown enters his ninth season at the helm of Buffalo Basketball. Brown boasts an all-time record of 210-52 (80.1%) and has guided West Texas to six consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including a National Championship appearance in 2021.
OBU nearly took down the then-ranked #6 Buffs a season ago, falling 61-58 in the 2021 Pak-A-Sak WT Thanksgiving Classic. West Texas A&M escaped the Bison in the game's final moments with a layup and a couple of free throws.
For more information on Oklahoma Baptist men's basketball, follow the team on Twitter (@OBU_MBB) and Instagram (OBU_MBB).
