BETHANY - In a rivalry, anything can happen.
Sometimes the unexpected happens.
Southern Nazarene was on the wrong end of that a year ago when winless Oklahoma Christian stunned an undefeated Crimson Storm squad. It worked out well for SNU, who proceeded to go 27-3 on the season, but it was always something that stuck in the crawl of Crimson Storm fans, while Oklahoma Christian fans enjoyed bragging rights for nearly a year.
Anything can happen in a rivalry, but a rival never forgets.
On Monday night, the No. 5/10 Southern Nazarene men's basketball team rode the energy of a raucous crowd en route to an 84-55 romp over the Eagles at the Sawyer Center, winning their 20th straight contest on their home floor.
SNU was lights out, shooting 44% from the field and 41% from deep, including a 52% mark in the first half alone. The Crimson Storm got to the free throw line 33 times in the win. On the other end, SNU held OC to 33% shooting, including 25% on seven made shots in the second half, and 26% from behind the arc.
The Crimson Storm held a 41-38 rebounding advantage, a 17-7 assist advantage, and forced the Eagles into 17 turnovers while only giving it away eight times.
SNU was off to a semi-cold start early on as the Eagles buried a few 3-pointers to take a 12-6 lead. The Crimson Storm would respond with a 10-0 run in next four minutes thanks to a boost off the bench from junior
Logan Hicks, scoring five during the run, to take a 16-12 lead.
Southern Nazarene would maintain that lead over Oklahoma Christian for the majority of the first half as the two squads would exchange made baskets through much of the half.
Leading 32-28 with 3:50 to play, the Crimson Storm would close the half on a 12-2 run to carry all the momentum into the break. After a pair of buckets from senior
Noah Starkey and junior
Jhonathan Dunn, Hicks buried a 3 to make it 39-28. OC got their lone basket of the run before a huge slam dunk on an offensive board by Starkey.
The Eagles tried to hold for the final shot, but Dunn came away with a steal at the six second mark and pulled up at the buzzer, connecting with a 3-pointer to send the crowd into a frenzy adn give the Crimson Storm a 44-30 lead at the break.
All the wind was taken out of OC's sails as was evident in the second half.
After an even four minutes, SNU went on an 11-0 run as sophomore
Ashton Charles hit a 3-pointer while Dunn got it done at the free throw line, surpassing 1,000 career points with a made free throw at 14:29 mark. A Hicks lay in had the lead at 25.
SNU maintained and eventually increased that lead, getting it out to as many as 30 points as Cinderella would be sent home early in this fairy tale as the Crimson Storm rolled to the 29-point victory.
Five SNU players were in double figures led by junior
Micah Speight who scored 17 points to go with seven boards and six assists. Hicks poured in 16 off the bench while Dunn and Starkey each had 12. Charles added 10 points off the bench.
SNU had 11 blocks and seven steals on the night while Starkey adding four blocks and Speight, Charles, and junior
Brady Mulkey all adding two. Dunn would come away with three steals. Senior RJ Palmer had seven points on the night with a team-leading nine boards.
Oklahoma Christian had no players in double figures as they were led by Marcus Blackwell and Roderick Smith with nine points each. Will Lienhard added 12 boards.
For the Storm, it was their largest win over OC in the rivalry, besting a previous 27-point win over the Eagles on February 5, 1977.
SNU starts the season 4-0 for the second consecutive year and will get ready for their first road trip of the season. SNU will play in the UAFS Classic at Arkansas-Fort Smith beginning on Friday with a 5 PM match-up against Midwestern State.
