OBU gets big road win

OLATHE, Kan. — It seemed the plan for No. 22 MidAmerica Nazarene Saturday evening was to keep Oklahoma Baptist from using its most popular weapon. While the Pioneers held Nate Brumfield to nine points, they didn’t slow down the Bison, who won 80-71.
Brumfield had nine points, eight rebounds, six assists, six steals and, according to OBU Coach Doug Tolin, a major impact on the outcome. The OBU All-American had been averaging 31 points per game. Fourth-ranked OBU still managed to get a 30-point performance.
“I looked down there once and I swear they had four men on him,” Tolin said. “They doubled him all night. They just weren’t going to let him score. But Nate was a huge key in getting us the lead. There are a lot of ways to contribute to your team winning and Nate found that today.”
The biggest key was drawing a man away from his teammates. Jerrod Tillmon exploded for 30 points on the night, scoring 25 in the first half.
Tillmon scored the first bucket of the game and OBU never trailed, winning the rematch against the team that ended its season last March.
OBU had a slim 24-21 lead before Tillmon scored the first eight points in a 16-2 Bison run.
The Bison led 47-29 at halftime.
The second half lead peaked at 21 points (52-21) on a three-pointer by Garrett Steinmetz and a basket by Tillmon with 18:47 left.
The Pioneers got the crowd back into it, however, and shaved the lead all the way down to 60-55 after a Brenton Bell three-pointer with 9:32 remaining.
OBU responded to a timeout by getting seven of the next nine points for a 67-57 lead with 7:54 to play. The Pioneers got no closer than seven the rest of the night.
“Maybe the length of our lead at halftime was a little bit of fool’s gold,” said Tolin. “You have to give them credit on the run they made. They are a well-coached, well-prepared team. I compare them favorably to Rogers State. They really get out and go.”
OBU also got 16 points  from Hawkins.
“I think Jerrod’s a really good scorer,” Tolin said. “I appreciate the way our guys came out ready to play tonight.”
OBU shot 60 percent from the field, including 62.5 percent in the second half, but got half as many attempts in the second half as they did in the first (32 in the first, 16 in the second).
Now 4-0, the Bison next play Friday at 4 p.m. against Central Bible College. Originally scheduled to play Puerto Rico-Mayaquez on Tuesday, that game has since been canceled.