Nov. 26—EDMOND — The East Central University men’s basketball team saw a second-half rally come up short in an 83-76 non-conference road loss to Oklahoma Christian Friday night inside the Eagle’s Nest in Edmond.
The Tigers fell to 2-3 on the year, while Oklahoma Christian improved to 3-1.
The game began as a back-and-forth battle of trading points, but ECU struggled to contain the red-hot shooting of OC’s Keyondre Young, who scored 14 of the Eagles’ first 18 points, including multiple 3-pointers. Bishop Jones and Mark Rucha kept the Tigers competitive with 10 apiece in the half, while Jourdyn Grandberry added athletic drives and mid-range jumpers.
However, the Eagles shot a blistering 70 percent from the field during the first half — connection on 17 of 24 field goals, including a 7 of 10 showing from 3-point range.
The result was a 46-32 OC halftime advantage.
The Eagles continued their momentum from the first half, extending their lead to 19 points at 58-39 after a basket inside by Bryce Kennedy at the 14:31 mark.
Undeterred, the Tigers dug deep. Bishop Jones continued to have his way attacking the basket and getting to the line converting free throws, while Grandberry added crucial contested pull-up jumpers and steady scoring at the line. ECU’s resilience on both ends of the floor led them to go on a dominant 31-10 point run in a 10-minute window as the Tigers closed the gap to 75-72 after a Mason Jones 3-point basket with just 1:54 left in the game.
The Eagles hit 5 of 6 free throws in the final 39 seconds to preserve the victory.
Bishop Jones delivered a standout performance, erupting for a career-high 30 points on an efficient 10 of 16 shooting from the field and a 9 of 13 effort from the free throw line. He rounded out his dominant night with six rebounds.
Grandberry showcased his scoring touch, netting a season-best 21 points while going a perfect 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. He also contributed four assists and three rebounds in a well-rounded effort.
Mark Rucha set a new career-high with 15 points. He was highly efficient, shooting 6 of 9 from the field and hitting 3 of 5 shots from beyond the arc.
As a team, the Tigers sank 15 of 21 free throws while OC canned 16 of 19 attempts.
The Eagles got a team-best 28 points from Keyondre Young, who sank five 3-pointers. He also had eight rebounds.
The ECU men return to the Kerr Activities Center at 7 p.m. tonight, hosting Dallas Christian College.
Note: East Central sports information director Sydney Dungen contributed to this report.
