SHAWNEE -- Behind a dominant second-half surge, the No. 7-ranked (NABC) Oklahoma Baptist men's basketball team rolled past East Central, 87-62, Saturday night at the Noble Complex. It was OBU's 17th straight win, the longest streak since the 2009-10 campaign.
OBU (26-2, 20-2 GAC) turned a nine-point halftime lead into a runaway victory by shooting a blistering 62.9 percent from the field after the break. The Bison outscored ECU 53-37 in the second half and finished the night at 53.4 percent overall, while holding the Tigers to 42 percent shooting.
After a tightly contested opening stretch that featured five lead changes, OBU began to create separation midway through the first half. Back-to-back threes from
Seth Grandberry sparked a key run, and a late push capped by an
Erik Madrid layup gave the Bison a 34-25 edge at the break.
The second half belonged entirely to OBU's depth.
Jackson Greene led the charge with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
Austin Coner added a season-high 16 points and seven assists, while Grandberry chipped in 15. Madrid was a force inside, scoring 14 points and pulling down nine rebounds off the bench as the Bison dominated the paint, 34-28.
OBU's bench proved decisive, outscoring ECU's reserves 56-23. The Bison also turned 15 Tiger turnovers into 21 points and added 16 fast-break points.
Jordan England paced East Central (15-13, 10-12 GAC) with 15 points, while Rustin Coffey and Brandon Mann each added nine.
With the win, OBU continues to build momentum heading into the postseason, showcasing balanced scoring, defensive pressure and a deep rotation that makes the Bison a difficult matchup in March.
Their next game is a GAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup with Henderson State on March 5 at 5:45 p.m. in Fort Smith, Ark.
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