FORT SMITH, Ark. -- The top-seeded Oklahoma Baptist Bison (27-3) saw their strong season hit a postseason setback Saturday as fourth-seeded Southern Nazarene (23-7) rallied in the second half to claim a 77–72 victory at Northside Arena.
Despite the defeat, OBU's first in 19 games, the team is primed for an NCAA Tournament berth. The NCAA Division II Selection Committee show is schedule for March 8 at 10 p.m. central.
The green and gold carried a 39–33 lead into the break after shooting efficiently and getting balanced scoring from its starting lineup. The Bison knocked down eight 3-pointers in the opening period and shot 45 percent from the field.
Christian Hodge,
Terry Coner Jr., and
Jackson Greene all hit long shots which aided the top seed to a six-point advantage.
Southern Nazarene, a team that's won four of its last five GAC semifinals appearances, responded in the second stanza with improved offensive efficiency and steady trips to the free-throw line. The Crimson Storm shot nearly 54 percent from the field after halftime and outscored the Bison 44–33 in the final 20 minutes to flip the momentum.
The squad from Bethany placed four players in double figures, led by Joe Mpoyo with 17 points. Baron Bracey and Bam Johnson each added 16 points, while Tracy Godfrey Jr. contributed 15 points and four rebounds in the balanced effort.
Oklahoma Baptist was paced by Coner Jr., who scored a game-high 23 points while hitting three 3-pointers and grabbing six rebounds.
Joshua Udoumoh added 17 points and six rebounds, and
Jackson Greene chipped in 14 points.
Erik Madrid anchored the interior with a game-high 11 rebounds.
The Bison shot 40.3 percent from the field and connected on 12-of-27 attempts from beyond the arc but struggled to keep pace late as SNU capitalized on free throws (17-of-22) and second-half efficiency to secure the five-point win.
As for OBU, it made 10-of-16 (62.5) from the foul line.
