EDMOND, Okla. — CJ Rodriguez scored a career-high 33 points for Southern Nazarene in the most exciting game of the year, but it was not enough in a 92-91 loss to Oklahoma Christian in the UCO Classic.
 
Rodriguez went 11-for-14 from the field and 7-for-8 from 3-point range. He was also 4-for-5 form the line. His 33 points is the fourth most points scored in a single game in school history and his seven 3-pointers ties a handful of others for second most in a single game. He also added five rebounds and two assits.
 
The senior's biggest bucket of the game was also his last that capped a rally late by the Crimson Storm (2-3). SNU led by as much as nine in the first half at 32-23 with 9:43 in the first, but the Eagles used an 18-5 run to take a 41-37 lead with 4:36 left in the half. The Storm closed the half with a 13-7 run that included an Anton Kankaanpaa 3-pointer to give the Storm a 50-48 lead at the half.
 
Rodriguez had 18 points at the half as he was 5-for-5 from downtown and 3-for-3 at the free-throw line. The Storm were 10-for-15 as a team from 3-point range in the first half, but OC was closed behind at 7-for-13 from 3-point range.
 
The Eagles opened the second half with a 21-11 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 69-61 with 12:16 to play. SNU kept chipping away and tied it at 73, but couldn't get enough stops. OC pushed it to 83-76 and led 91-85 with 2:20 left to play before the Storm finally got a few stops down the stretch. That allowed for three free throws to bit hit and set up Rodriguez for the game-tying 3-pointer with 13 seconds left.
 
The Eagles then rushed down the floor and had Elijah Strickland slashing to the hoop, but missed a floater. OC's John Moon, who scored a career-high 38 points, gathered the rebound in mid-air and attempted the put back with 1.2 seconds left. He was fouled though and hit the second of his two free throws to give the Eagles the one-point lead.
 
Francisco Hukill heaved a pass about 75 feet to C.J. White who plucked it out of the air and fired a desperation shot from just inside the arc on the left side, but missed as the buzzer sounded.
 
Hukill notched the season's first double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds while Garrett Butler finished with 16 points and five rebounds. LB Willis added 13 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals.
 
SNU shot 47. Percent from the field and finished 13-for-25 from 3-point range. SNU hit just 16-for-23 at the line.