BETHANY – Ninth-ranked (NABC) Oklahoma Baptist raced out to an early double-digit lead and never looked back Wednesday night, defeating rival Southern Nazarene 72-56 at the Sawyer Center.
OBU won for the 11th straight time, improved its record to 20-2 overall and 14-2 in the Great American Conference.
The Bison set the tone immediately, opening the game on an 8-0 run capped by back-to-back three-pointers from
Jackson Greene. Oklahoma Baptist shot a blistering 46 percent in the first half and built a 39-24 advantage by the break. The hosts struggled to find rhythm offensively, shooting just 6-of-35 (17.1 percent) from the field in the opening 20 minutes and missing all 13 of its three-point attempts before halftime.
Terry Coner Jr. led the way for the Bison with 27 points on 8-of-17 shooting, adding five rebounds and steady defensive pressure. Greene followed with 19 points, knocking down four 3-pointers and going 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Erik Madrid provided a strong interior presence with 11 points and 14 rebounds, helping the Bison control the paint with a 36-18 scoring edge inside.
Southern Nazarene found more success in the second half, but not enough to pressure the visiting Bison. James Burries paced the Crimson Storm with 12 points off the bench, while Baron Bracey added 11 points and Joe Mpoyo chipped in 10. Despite a 17-6 edge in bench scoring and 17 second-chance points, SNU could not overcome its first-half deficit.
Oklahoma Baptist pushed its lead to as many as 26 midway through the second half after a Coner three made it 57-31. Though the Crimson Storm trimmed the margin to 14 late, the Bison calmly closed the game at the free-throw line and with timely baskets from Coner.
With balanced scoring, efficient shooting (46.3 percent overall), and control from start to finish, Oklahoma Baptist secured a wire-to-wire road victory.
OBU will return to action on Feb. 14 at Southeastern Oklahoma State.
