Grace Sets Three-Point Record in Win

February 16, 2008

Oklahoma Baptist University's Evan Grace, who earlier this season tied the single game record for three-pointers made and then later hit a half-court buzzer-beater to knock off Oklahoma City, said he needed a dose of confidence.

"I worked all week on my shot, trying to get my confidence back," said Grace, a senior from Norman.

Practice didn't make perfect, but it put Grace in the OBU record books Saturday night. He hit a school-record 11 three-pointers on his way to a career-best 39-point game and 92-73 win over Mid-America Christian on the road.

"I felt good all night," Grace said. "I took a couple of bad ones, but when you make that many in a row, it's alright."

Grace was 11-of-17 from the arch and was one missed free throw away from becoming just the 11th Bison to score 40 in a game. Not bad for a guy who had averaged two points a game through his first 97 games in his first three years at OBU.

While Coach Doug Tolin was proud of Grace's effort, he made sure to spread the praise around.

"All of those guys out there did a good job," Tolin said. "Because they did the things they were supposed to do, it opened things up for Evan. And Evan just got everything going tonight."

There were six lead changes and four ties in the first 11 minutes of the game, but OBU took the lead for good during a 9-2 run in which four Bison scored. That spree put the Bison ahead 31-25 with 6:29 left in the first half. OBU led 47-41 at the half.

The Bison opened the second half with a 10-0 run, including a pair of treys by Grace for a 57-41 lead.

Grace tied the record at the 16:10 mark with a feed from Brent Jones, equaling his output of nine against Central Baptist and a pair of Don Newton games from the 1994-95 season.

Justin Williams fed Grace for the record-breaker at the 7:56 mark of the game to give OBU a 75-64 lead.

The last one for Grace, with an assist by Brian Hill, came at the 3:59 mark of the game to help ignite a 9-0 Bison run to leave OBU ahead 86-67 with 2:46 to play.

The Sooner Athletic Conference record is 13, held by Southern Nazarene's Skipper Rowland in a game against Messenger College in 1999.

Aaron Perez had 16 points in the game, followed by Jones with 14 and Williams with 10.

Now 18-7 overall and 10-7 in the SAC, the Bison host St. Gregory's at 8 p.m., Tuesday.