After trailing by as many as 15 points late in the first period, OCU trailed 45-40 at halftime, the Mighty Oaks came back and led much of the second frame against the visiting Chargers of the University of Alabama-Huntsville. However, a late surge by the Chargers allowed them to take an 87-79 victory, as they made their free throws down the stretch.
Addison Wagler scored a team best 26 points for the Oaks, playing all 40 minutes in the game. Andrew Scott added 19 points to go with four steals and six rebounds, while Logan Worthington had a double-double, scoring 15 counters, while hauling in a game high 11 rebounds.
Justin Ward scored a game high 29 points to lead the Chargers, shooting 7-11 from three point range. Chayse Elliott chipped in with 13 points, while Sam Orf came off the bench to post 11. Kip Owens tallied 10 counters, and joined Ward with a team high eight rebounds.
For the game, OCU shot 29-66 (43.9%) from the field, including 5-19 (26.3%) from beyond the arc. UAH connected on 28-55 (50.9%) of their shot attempts, going 15-33 (45.5%) from long range. Both teams did well at the foul line, as the Oaks were 16-20 (80.0%) and the Chargers were 16-18 (88.9%).
The Oaks held a 34-32 rebounding advantage, thanks to an 8-2 edge on the offensive boards. Assists were 15-13, with the edge going Alabama-Huntsville's way, while the turnover battle was won by the Mighty Oaks 16-10.
OCU held a 36-26 advantage on points in the paint, a 21-13 edge in points off turnovers, and a 6-0 lead in second chance points. UAH double up the Oaks in fast break points, 8-4, and added 23 points to their total off the bench, compared to just 11 for OCU.
There were five ties and two lead changes in the game, with the Chargers going ahead for the final time with 1:23 to play.
Next up for the Mighty Oaks is a home contest against Fontbonne University on Tuesday, November 21, tipping off at 7:00 pm.
