SHAWNEE – The No. 7-ranked (NABC) Oklahoma Baptist Bison extended its winning streak to 14 games, continuing its dominant run through the Great American Conference with a 70-61 victory over Henderson State at the Noble Complex. The win improved the Bison to 23–2 overall and 17–2 in conference play, while the Reddies dropped to 10–15 (7–12 GAC).
With the win, and paired with Southern Nazarene's defeat of Ouachita, the Bison are in sole possession of first place in the GAC.
After a slow start in the first half, OBU quickly settled in and took control, carrying a 36-26 advantage into halftime. The Bison's size and physicality created problems throughout the opening half for Henderson, holding the Reddies to just 30.6 percent shooting from the field.
OBU shot efficiently as well, connecting at a 48.4 percent clip in the first half. Four different Bison scored at least five points before the break, led by
Jackson Greene's 10.
Terry Coner Jr. also contributed five assists in the first half alone.
Henderson State responded with improved efficiency after the break, shooting 42.3 percent from the field (11 of 26) and connecting at a 37.5 percent clip from three-point range to trim the deficit. Meanwhile, OBU faced its own offensive challenges, converting just 38.5 percent of its second-half attempts. Despite the offensive slowdown, the Bison's defense proved to be the defining factor in the win, consistently disrupting Henderson's rhythm.
Greene led all scorers with 16 points while adding seven rebounds and four assists.
Erik Madrid finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Coner Jr. added 13 points and six assists.
Christian Hodge also contributed nine points and seven rebounds.
Oklahoma Baptist finished with eight blocks, forced nine Henderson turnovers, and limited the Reddies to 35.5 percent shooting for the game. The Bison leaned on standout defense to pull away late after a tightly contested second half.
The Bison will return to action on Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. in the Noble Complex against No. 20-ranked Ouachita Baptist.
