Bison sweep OCU during SAC season

February 11, 2005

OBU knocked off the Oklahoma City University Start for the second straight time this year with a 73-62 win Saturday night at OCU.

"It was nice to get a good win against a good team in their gym," said Head Coach Doug Tolin. "Makes you think that this team has got some capabilities and we ought to be able to some stuff the next few games."

The Bison got 17 points off the bench from Frank Benson who shot 50 percent from the field, as he was seven-of-14 from the field.

OBU also got 14 from Justin Benson and Leonard Mosley with Benson grabbing six rebounds and Mosley was just one board short of a double-double with nine. Robert Hart was the only other Bison in double figures with 11.

"Both Frank and Justin played a great game tonight," said Tolin. "I thought that once OCU started guarding Frank and Justin better, that when I thought Leonard and Robert really stepped up and made some good plays."

Drago Pavlovic led all scorers with 20 points.

OBU moves to 5-7 in the Sooner Athletic Conference and 17-8 overall. OCU falls to 8-5 in the conference and 15-7 overall.

"We've played so up and down this year," said Tolin. "That's been our big problem. We need to be more consistent and to be consistent it takes more than one guy, it takes a whole team."

In the first half of play OBU trailed only three times with all three being one point leads. OBU jumped out as far as five in the first half 10-5 and 17-12. OBU held a half time lead of 27-25.

OBU took at 35-31 lead early in the second half, but saw that lead erased after Herman Burge nailed a couple of free throws and Dawud Drew hit a three to give the Start a 36-35 lead.

After both teams traded the lead six times over the next three minutes Frank Benson put OBU on top 44-42. Ryan Godwin then answered with a field goal to tie the game at 44.

Leonard Mosley then put the Bison up for good with two straight three-pointers to give OBU a 50-46 lead with nine minutes to play.

Hart and Andrew Bryant pushed the lead out to nine at 57-48 after Hart nailed a three and Bryant brought the Bison faithful, that made the trip to OCU, to their feet with a follow up slam.

The Stars did the pull the Bison lead down to four at 61-57 with 3:09 left, but that was as close as OCU came as OBU put the Stars away down the stretch.

OBU shot 46.8 percent from the field on the night while holding OCU to just 32.3 percent.

OBU also turned the ball over three times in the second half giving them a total of 13 on the night.

OBU next hosts St. Gregory's Saturday in the Noble Complex at 8 p.m. The last match up OBU found themselves on the wrong side of the Holy Wars match up and look to avenge that loss Saturday night.

"We're just trying to win one more," said Tolin. "We really need to win two in a row. We haven't done that in the conference yet."