Carrying a record of 6-5, the Mighty Oaks basketball team hosted the Phantoms of East-West University, out of Chicago, Illinois, in the Johnson Center. After opening a 49-23 halftime lead, OCU was able to cruise to a 106-63 victory, improving their record to 7-1 at home on the season.
Logan Worthington led all scorers in the game, going 12-15 from the field, on his way to 27 points. Nathaniel Schmittler had a career best, with a double-double, scoring 18 counters to go with 11 rebounds. Tyler Toopes had a tripe-double in the contest, notching 17 points to go with 10 rebounds and 17 assists, tied for the second most in OCU history. Andrew Scott also had a double-double in the win, with 16 points and a game high 13 rebounds.
Kaleb Thomas led the way for the Phantoms, scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Carl Moore tallied 18 counters, followed by 16 points and eight boards from Rodney Gaston. Thomas, Moore and Gaston each went 6-17 from the floor in the game.
For the game, OCU shot 43-77 (55.8%) from the field, including 9-18 (50.0%) from beyond the arc. The Phantoms connected on 21-73 (28.8%) of their shots, going 12-47 (25.5%) from three point range. The Oaks made 11-17 (64.7%) from the charity stripe, compared to 9-11 (81.8%) for the visitors.
The Mighty Oaks handed out 39 assists as a team, good for the third best single game total in school history, while turning the ball over 13 times. The Phantoms had 12 assists and 14 turnovers in the contest.
Next up for the Oaks is a double-header in the Johnson Center, as the Eagles of Emmaus Bible College clash with OCU on January 7. The women's teams will tip off at 5:00 pm, followed by the men's game at 7:00.
