The Braves have won three straight and five out of its last six games after defeating KCAC leader Friends University 86-79 in overtime on Saturday afternoon at the Gleason Center. Ottawa shot 46.3 percent from the floor, 41.4 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 92.3 percent from the free throw line. OU had four players in double figures led by
Najee Jones 26 points.
Jayden Hibbitt scored 17 points,
Deondre Buggage finished with 15 points, and
Payton Kaiser scored 11 points. Kaiser led the Braves with five assists, Buggage had four assists and Jones finished with four.
Keith Robinson finished the game with two blocks.
Ottawa is averaging 83.1 point, 40.6 rebounds, and 15.5 assists per game. The Braves are shooting 46.2 percent from the floor, 33.7 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 77.2 percent from the free throw line.
Jayden Hibbitt leads the Braves in scoring (17),
Keith Robinson is OU's leader in rebounding (8.6),
Deondre Buggage and
Najee Jones lead the team in assists (3.1),
Alex Riddick and Robinson are the team's leaders in blocks (0.8), and Jones is Ottawa's leader in steals (1.6) per game.
Ottawa has won three straight on the road this season with its last loos coming on Jan. 18 at Bethel, 95-75. The Braves are 8-3 on the road this season and 7-2 in KCAC play. Away from Wilson Field House this season, Ottawa is scoring 78.7 points per game, shooting 46 percent from the floor and 35.1 percent from behind the 3-pt line. Opponents are scoring 75.3 points per game, shooting 44.4 percent from the floor, and 35.2 percent from behind the 3-pt line.
OU has four players scoring in double figures on the road this season.
Jayden Hibbitt (16.6),
Najee Jones (16.1),
Keith Robinson (14.6), and
Deondre Buggage (14.6).
In the Braves wins, they are scoring 85.9 points, shooting 47.3 percent from the floor, and 35.9 percent from behind the 3-pt line. In their losses, OU is shooting 76.4 percent from the floor, 43.5 percent from the floor, and 28.7 percent from the free throw line.
Wednesday is the 30th game between Ottawa University and Oklahoma Wesleyan University. The Eagles lead the series 20-9 and are on a nine game winning streak against the Braves. OKWU has won 10 straight at the Mueller Sports Complex against the Braves. OU's last win in Bartlesville, Okla. was on Dec. 1, 2016, 76-68. Ottawa is 1-14 against OKWU in Bartlesville. The first ever meeting between the two teams happened on Nov. 29, 1980 in Bartlesville. OKWU won the game 66-65. The Eagles won the first game this season, 89-74, in Wilson Field House on Jan. 15.
In the first game this season between the two teams on Jan. 15, the Braves shot 38.7 percent from the floor, 26.3 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 85.7 percent from the free throw line.
Najee Jones was one rebound away from a double-double. He led OU in scoring with 29 points. Jones had four assists, one block, and one steal.
Keith Robinson was the other Brave in double figures. He recorded his seventh double-double of the season, his second straight, with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
The Braves have a record of 5-4 on Wednesdays, 14-1 when leading at halftime, 13-0 when out rebounding an opponent, and 13-4 when four or more Braves score in double figures.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University is 18-6 overall, is in first place in the KCAC with a 15-3 mark, has won nine straight games, and has a record of 9-1 in the Mueller Sports Complex this season. OKWU has not lost since Jan. 11. That was an 88-82 loss to Friends University in Wichita.
OKWU is averaging 79.6 points, 37.4 rebounds, and 14 assists per game. They are shooting 46.7 percent from the floor, 30.8 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 71.1 percent from the free throw line.
The Eagles are ranked 17th in the NAIA in opponent defensive rebounds per game (21.5), 19th in opponent total rebounds per game (30.5, 23rd in rebound margin (6.9), 43rd in turnovers per game (11.2), 33rd in opponent turnovers per game (15.1), 19th in steals per game (9.7), and 36th in opponent field goal percentage (.416).
Jaden Lietzke leads OKWU in scoring (14.3), rebounding (6.8), and blocks (1.1). Derrick Talton, Jr. is the Eagles' leader in assists (5.3) and steals (3.0) per game.
At home this season, Oklahoma Wesleyan is averaging 81.7 points per game. They are shooting 48.9 percent from the floor, 30.8 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 69.3 percent from the free throw line.
In their wins, the Eagles are scoring 82.7 points per game, shooting 48.7 percent from the floor, and 32.6 percent from behind the 3-pt line. In their losses, OKWU is scoring 70.6 points per game, shooting 40.6 percent from the floor, and 24.5 percent from behind the 3-pt line.
