SHAWNEE – No. 20 (NABC) Oklahoma Baptist put together a dominant first half, rolling past No. 18 Southern Nazarene 84–61 in Great American Conference action Thursday night at the Noble Complex. The win improved the Bison to 15–2 overall and 9–2 in conference play, while the Storm dropped to 13–4 (7–4 GAC).
OBU set the tone early with standout shooting and consistent defense, shooting 58.8 percent from the field compared to SNU's 18.2 percent in the opening half. That helped the hosts cruise to a 50-18 halftime lead.
Terry Coner Jr. and
Jackson Greene powered the offense, as Coner Jr. scored 19 first-half points, one more than the Storm's entire team total.
The Bison were nearly flawless from the three-point line, knocking down 6-of-10 three-point attempts in the first stanza. Defensively, OBU limited Southern Nazarene to just four made shots on 22 attempts.
Southern Nazarene came out aggressive in the second half, cutting their deficit to 21 points. OBU quickly answered, forcing back-to-back turnovers that turned into timely baskets to regain momentum and firmly reestablish control. The Bison also won the rebounding battle 33-32 and shared the ball effectively, keeping the Storm from building sustained runs.
Despite the push, OBU maintained control with standout shooting. Coner Jr. led the Bison with 27 points and six rebounds, while
Jackson Greene finished with 19 points, making 8-of-11 attempts.
OBU closed the night shooting 60.3 percent from the field, securing the 84–61 conference victory.
Oklahoma Baptist will look to build on the win when it hosts Southwestern Oklahoma State on January 26 at 7:30 p.m. inside the Noble Complex.
