Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 30, 2014) – With the youngest team he's ever had – three seniors and everyone else either a freshman or sophomore – Oklahoma Christian coach
Dan Hays knows the Eagles will be a work in progress this basketball season.
Such was the case on Thursday night in an exhibition game at Mid-America Christian. Facing a foe that's likely to finish in the upper half of the NAIA's Sooner Athletic Conference, the Eagles were competitive but struggled with turnovers and missed free throws during a 73-67 loss at the Gaulke Activity Center.
There were some bright spots – most notably the play of the inside tandem of
John Moon and
Eric Randall – but Hays said the Eagles have plenty of work to accomplish before they open the season on Nov. 15 against Dallas Christian (Texas).
"I'm very pleased with what I saw," Hays said. "We've got a lot of rust to kick off. I'm tremendously pleased with
Eric Randall and how he's bouncing back.
John Moon was dominant, especially in the second half. I saw a lot of good things from our guys. We've just got to get more people playing better. … We're going to keep working."
MACU's freewheeling style under longtime coach Willie Holley often has given the Eagles fits through the years and that proved to be the case again Thursday. The Evangels forced OC into 20 turnovers (12 of those steals) and went 10-of-28 from 3-point range. Surprisingly, a smaller MACU squad outrebounded OC as well, by a 43-39 count.
The Eagles didn't help themselves with 19-of-34 free-throw shooting (63.3 percent), a number that Hays called "terrible." Randall went 8-for-8 from the line, but the rest of the team was 11-of-26.
"It gives us a measuring stick for what to go to work on before our next scrimmage," Hays said.
The game was tied 35-35 at halftime. MACU's Jerrick Massenburge opened the second half with a 3-pointer, giving the Evangels a lead they would not relinquish.
A three-point play by Moon – who overcame foul trouble to finish with 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting and eight rebounds – pulled OC within 42-41 with 17:16 left, but MACU scored the next nine points and went up 51-41 after a basket by Chris Runnels with 14:52 left.
MACU went 6½ minutes without a basket midway through the second half, but OC couldn't take advantage. The Eagles got within 55-51 after two free throws by Randall with 8:14 left before the Evangels went on a 7-1 run to rebuild their lead to double digits.
OC came no closer than the final six-point margin the rest of the way.
Randall, who sat out last season after suffering a preseason knee injury, scored 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting. The only other OC player to reach double figures in scoring was freshman guard
Jordan Box, who scored 12 points. Another freshman,
Cameron Peters, added eight points for the Eagles.
Two other freshmen,
Elijah Strickland and
Tripp Fuller, also saw significant minutes. Hays had praise for all four of those first-year players.
"We're going to be fine," Hays said. "It's just going to take a little time."
Reggie Davis led the Evangels with 21 points, while Massenburge had 16 and Semar Farris had 13.
The game likely was the final meeting of two longtime Oklahoma small-college coaching legends. Holley, who entered the season with 788 career wins, has said he plans to step down as MACU's coach at season's end. Hays, meanwhile, is entering his 32nd season at OC – and 37th as a college head coach – with 711 career wins and shows no signs of slowing down.
The only way OC and MACU could play again this season would be if they meet in either the National Christian College Athletic Association regional or national tournaments.
"It has been an honor to coach against Willie Holley," Hays said. "He is a true man of integrity and a master teacher and coach. I'm proud to call him a friend."