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Lamarcus Donahue (5) defends LCU's L.D. Daniels (24) -
Lamarcus Donahue (5) battles Rowan Mackenzie (0) for a rebound -
Anthony Johnson (1) looks for a teammate -
Elijah Elliot (white) guards LCU's Cameron Copley (blue) -
D.J. Walter (23) defends LCU's Ty Caswell (12)
When the lead dwindled to one, Lloyd Daniels stepped up and took over the game.
Daniels’ performance helped prevent the Oklahoma Christian men’s basketball team from taking the lead in an 82-70 loss to Daniels and Lubbock Christian at Payne Athletics Center on Friday night.
OC (0-1) never led in its season opener despite tying the game three times.
LCU (1-0) made big shots every time the Eagles made it close to keep the lead intact.
The Eagles opened the second half by narrowing the deficit to 39-38 before Daniels, a senior guard, pulled the Chaparrals away. He hit four of the next six shots including three 3-pointers, pushing LCU’s lead to 50-42.
The Chaps kept the Eagles at arm’s length the rest of the night after a much tighter first half.
This was the first collegiate game for many of OC’s players. Coach Kendre Talley said he is proud of the effort they gave against a team picked third in the Lone Star Conference.
“I think we did a really good job,” Talley said. “We got to get in there tomorrow, though, and get comfortable. We had a lot of nerves today. I’m glad they got to actually feel what it’s like, and hopefully we can come back and play better tomorrow.”
Daniels led all scorers with 26 points. LCU senior forward Parker Hicks had a double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore guard Rowan Mackenzie had 10 points and 10 boards.
The Eagles’ top-three scorers were freshmen. Guard Elijah Elliot led OC with 21 points. Guard Marco Foster had 16, and forward Nyk Madison had 11.
Elliot said the young Eagles are still learning to work together.
“We’re a new team,” Elliot said. “We’re just learning how to hoop with each other. We just gotta lock in, focus on the game plan, and close out on shooters tomorrow.”
Both teams were scheduled to open their seasons last week but were unable to do so. OC was scheduled to play two games at Texas A&M-International, while LCU was meant to host a pair against St. Mary’s (TX).
Cancellations and postponements will likely continue to be a trend. The OC women were also scheduled to play LCU this weekend, but that series was postponed.
Talley and Elliot both said they are glad to have the chance to play.
“I’m just happy to be out here,” Talley said. “It’s a blessing to be out here. More than for myself, I’m happy for (the players). We’re living day-to-day right now, week-to-week. Just hoping that tests come back negative and hoping that the other team’s tests come back negative. It’s just a blessing to be able to come out here and actually compete.”
OC and LCU will face off again Saturday at 3:30.