Mens Basketball
The men's basketball team, under the direction of coach Dr. Mike Sandifar, won 10 consecutive Mideast Regional Championships, with Sandifar being named Mideast Region Coach of the Year in each of those 10 seasons.
In 1999, the Mighty Oaks men's basketball team won the NCCAA Men's Division I National Championship and Sandifar was named National Coach of the Year. The Oaks were runners-up in 1994 and 2006 under Sandifar's leadership. The team has competed in the NCCAA National Finals a total of 14 times.

The 2012 Christian College Invitational Tournament Champions - Oakland City University
Front row, L-R: Mikel Breeden, Kendall Wittmer, Nick Powers, Preston Altsadt, Brad Altsadt, Ethan Knepp, Josh Adams, Ryne Meece
Back Row, L-R: Charles Brauser, Phil Schumacher, Eric Head, Billy Newton, Mitch Stahl, Brandon Morton, Trevor Smith, Cameron LeFear, Maurice Fuller, Dr. Mike Sandifar
News
April 3, 2012 - OCU Basketball Team Receives Championship Banner to Cap Off Their Season
The 2011-12 chapter of the Oakland City University Men's Basketball team concluded with a championship. It was just the third time in school history that the Oaks had earned a post-season title to cap off their season campaign, joining the 1980-81 (National Little College Athletic Association Champions, now the USCAA) and the 1998-99 (National Christian College Athletic Association Champions) teams.
After opening the season with wins over the University of Akron-Wayne (89-78) and Heritage Baptist College (96-62), the Oaks lost four of their next six games, dropping games at the University of Evansville (80-53) and at home against Maryville University (66-63), then beating Central Christian College of the Bible (100-80), losing at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse against Butler University (98-53), then beating Ohio State University-Mansfield at home (99-62), followed by a loss at Eastern Illinois University (83-67).
The Mighty Oaks responded by winning nine of their next ten games, their loss coming on their trip to the University of Alabama at Huntsville (92-64). Their final seven games of the regular season included a home loss to Great Lakes Christian College (66-63), another win at Heritage Baptist (96-44), a loss at Maryville (84-49), wins over Logan University (109-73) and St. Louis Christian College (105-61), a home loss to Alabama-Huntsville (96-79) and a final regular season victory over Indiana Dabney University (79-76), which took a 78 foot game-winning shot at the buzzer by Mitch Stahl.
OCU hosted the first Christian College Invitational Tournament, comprised of teams from the Ecclesia College, Milligan College, Indiana Dabney University, the University of Virginia-Lynchburg, Victory University, Rhema Bible College, Ohio Mid-Western College and Oakland City University. The Mighty Oaks matched up against Ecclesia College in the opening round, winning 85-70, followed by a hard fought win against Rhema Bible College (89-71) to advance to the championship game against the Rams of Ohio Mid-Western College. Mitch Stahl and Maurice Fuller scored a combined 41 points to help the Oaks win 83-82.
Stahl was named the Christian College Invitational Tournament's Most Valuable Player, while Eric Head and Maurice Fuller joined Stahl on the All-Tournament Team.
The Oaks set numerous records on the year as a team. It was the 13th highest point total for a team in school history, as the Oaks put home 2,429 points on the year, making 860 field goals in 1,755 attempts. They scored the 11th most threes in a single season while shooting the eighth most, going 248-635 from beyond the arc. As a team, OCU made 461 free throws, good for eighth most all time, shooting 617, the ninth most attempts in school history. Their shooting percentage of 74.7% as a team was the fourth best from the charity stripe all time. The Oaks handed out 633 assists, good for sixth all time, while committing just 386 turnovers, 12th fewest ever. Their 126 blocked shots fell one shy of the team total of 127 in 2007-08, ranking this year as the fourth best in that category.
Individually, Mitch Stahl finished off the sixth best single season scoring effort in school history, putting 543 points on the OCU side of the ledger, an average of 18.7 points per game, good for the ninth best scoring average all time. His shooting percentage of 62.7% from the field was the 14th best for a year. Stahl also shot 166-212 from the foul line, topping Larry Harris's school record for free throws made and free throws attempted in a single season. Harris shot 159-189 during the 1970-71 season. Kendall Wittmer shot 35-39 from the line on the year, the second best percentage for a year in school history at 89.7%, trailing Justin Braddock's 24-25 (96.0%) 2004-05 campaign. Wittmer climbed up to fifth in career free throw shooting percentage, having made 63 of his 74 attempts in two years. Brandon Morton blocked 41 shots on the year, tying him with OCU greats Stuart Love (1994-95) and Robert Edwards (1992-93) for the seventh highest season total, while Cameron LeFear's 60 steals ranks him fifth all time.
March 14, 2012 - Mighty Oaks Defeat Ohio Mid-Western College Rams to Take CCIT Championship
Oakland City University's men's basketball team met its final test on Wednesday night in the Johnson Center, facing the Ohio Mid-Western College Rams for the 2012 Christian College Invitational Tournament Championship. The Mighty Oaks proved up to the challenge, winning the game 83-82 in a hard fought battle.

Mitch Stahl capped off an incredible season, scoring a team high 21 points. Maurice Fuller finished his freshman campaign by posting 20 points, while Brandon Morton added 14 scores. Eric Head, playing his final game in OCU blue and white, notched eight points while joining Morton with a game high eight rebounds. Morton also had three blocked shots, while Stahl, Fuller and Cameron LeFear each handed out three assists.
The Rams were led in scoring by junior Greg Howard, who put up a game high 28 points, followed by 15 points from freshman Marquez Johnson. Brandon Smith and Nick McCoy each added 13 points to the Rams' side of the ledger.
The Mighty Oaks shot 25-51 (49.0%) from the field, making 4-15 (26.7%) from beyond the three point arc. OCU was able to connect on a season best 29-33 (87.9%) from the free throw line. Ohio Mid-Western made 26-60 (43.3%) of their shot attempts, including 10-19 (52.6%) from deep, and hit 20-27 (74.1%) from the charity stripe.
The home team held a 39-29 advantage on the glass, pulling down one fewer on the offensive side, 11-10. OCU handed out just 13 assists while committing 18 turnovers, while the Rams had 10 of each statistic.
Adding on to the team championship, Mitch Stahl was named Tournament Most Valuable Player, while Eric Head and Maurice Fuller joined him on the All-Tournament Team. Ohio Mid-Western's Nick McCoy and Greg Howard were also given All-Tournament honors.



March 13, 2012 - OCU Earns a Berth in the CCIT Championship Game with Win Over Rhema Bible College
The Mighty Oaks stretched a 34-33 halftime lead into an 89-71 win in the semi-finals of the Christian College Invitational Tournament against Rhema Bible College on Tuesday night in the Johnson Center.
Oakland City was led in scoring by Mitch Stahl, who scored 25 points on the night thanks to 7-9 shooting from the floor and 11-12 scores from the foul line. Maurice Fuller added 16 points while Eric Head joined in with 14. Cameron LeFear put 12 points onto the OCU side of the ledger, followed by 11 points by Brandon Morton. Morton tallied a double double by grabbing a game high 13 missed shots, while LeFear handed out a season high nine assists and picked up three steals.
The Eagles of Rhema Bible College were led by Marc Gustin's 21 points, followed by 11 points each from Brody Christian and Miracle Keni-Satele, who also grabbed a team high eight rebounds.
For the game, OCU shot 27-52 (51.9%) from the field, including 17-24 (70.8%) in the second half. The Oaks made 9-23 (39.1%) from beyond the three point arc, while hitting 26-31 (83.9%) from the foul line. Meanwhile, the Eagles shot 29-66 (43.9%) from the floor, including 4-17 (23.5%) from three point range. RBC made 9-16 (56.3%) from the charity stripe.
The Oaks held a 38-32 advantage on the glass, despite trailing in offensive boards 13-10. OCU handed out 18 assists in the game, while committing an equal number of turnovers, while RBC had just nine assists and 14 turnovers.
Oakland City will play against Ohio Mid-Western College, a team they beat earlier in the season, for the CCIT championship. Game time is set for 8:00 PM CST.
March 12, 2012 - Mighty Oaks Advance to Semi-Finals of CCIT by Beating Ecclesia College 85-70
Oakland City University matched up against the Royals of Ecclesia College on Monday night in the Johnson Center, a berth in the 2012 Christian College Invitational Tournament semi-finals on the line. After leading by just one point at 42-41 at the half, the Oaks were able to pull away late in the game to come out 85-70 victors. The win puts them in line to face Rhema Bible College, who won their game 85-75 over Indiana Dabney University.
Maurice Fuller and Eric Head each tallied a double-double in the game for the Oaks, who were led in scoring by Mitch Stahl's 24 points. Head notched 18 points to go with a game high 14 rebounds, while Fuller put in 13 points and grabbed 10 misses. Kendall Wittmer and Billy Newton both came off the bench to score 10 points. Cameron LeFear and Fuller each had six assists to tie for the game high.
The Royals were led in scoring by Jason Holmstrom, who shot 9-16 from the field to score 19 points. Levi Roberts added 15 points, followed by 12 points from Brandon Brzozkiewicz and 11 counters from David Eichler. Brzozkiewicz led the team in rebounding and assists, pulling down eight missed shots and handing out four helpers.
For the game, OCU shot 29-62 (46.8%) from the field, including 8-23 (34.8%) from beyond the three point line, and made 19-28 (67.9%) from the foul line. The Royals shot 25-65 (38.5%) from the floor, making 7-22 (31.8%) of their three point tries, and hit 13-17 (76.5%) from the charity stripe.
The Oaks held a 48-33 advantage in rebounding, including a 15-9 lead on the offensive glass. OCU handed out 19 assists while turning the ball over 11 times, versus 12 assists and seven turnovers by the Royals.
Next up for the Mighty Oaks will be the Eagles of Rhema Bible College with a trip to the championship game on the line. Game time is set for 7:00 PM CST in the Johnson Center.
February 25, 2012 - Coach Sandifar Earns 400th Win at OCU on Senior Day Thanks to Mitch Stahl's Three-Quarter Court Shot Against Indiana Dabney University
The Mighty Oaks hosted the Lions of Indiana Dabney University on Saturday evening in the Johnson Center, the last regular season home game for OCU seniors Josh Adams and Eric Head. Coach Sandifar entered the game with 399 career victories at the helm of the OCU men's basketball team.
With the visiting Lions down to just five players due to injury, the tied score at halftime came as a surprise to many. Even more surprising was that the Oaks trailed 73-64 with just over two minutes to play. The Oaks cut the lead to one point on Kendall Wittmer's three pointer from the corner with 33 seconds remaining and the scoreboard reading 74-73 in favor of the visiting Lions. A mere six seconds later, Indiana Dabney broke a full court press to get a layup to push the lead back to three. Then, with 17 seconds to play, Maurice Fuller connected on a three pointer just in front of the home bench to tie the game at 76-76.
Indiana Dabney called time out with eleven seconds on the clock and Steve Hilal took a shot with three seconds left, attempting to give the Lions the lead. When the ball sailed long, Mitch Stahl hauled in the rebound, gathered himself, planted his feet and heaved the ball toward the opposite rim, 74 feet away. The buzzer went off, sounding the end of regulation as the ball narrowly missed the ceiling supports, followed by the sound of the net accepting the winning points. (Video)
It was OCU's eighteenth win of the year, sending their record to 18-8 as they head to postseason play. It also marked Coach Dr. Mike Sandifar's 400th career victory at Oakland City.
The Oaks were led in scoring by Maurice Fuller, who tallied 19 points on 7-13 shooting, including 5-10 from beyond the arc. Mitch Stahl added 18 points, also making 7-13 from the floor, including 2-3 from three point range. Billy Newton came off the bench to score 14 points, while Kendall Wittmer added 12 points, also off the bench. Eric Head scored eight points to go with his game high 13 rebounds, while Stahl handed out five assists.
Indiana Dabney had four of their five players reach double figures, led by 25 points from Tony Jones, followed by 16 from Steve Hilal, 15 from Jaylnn Mosby and 12 from Shawn Starks. Logan Davis, who fouled out of the game with 1:03 left on the clock, chipped in eight points. Starks also had a team high 11 rebounds and six steals, while Mosby handed out five assists.
For the game, OCU shot 29-59 (49.2%) from the floor, making 10-26 (38.5%) from beyond the arc, while connecting on 11-14 (78.6%) from the foul line. The Lions made 28-63 (44.4%) of their field goal attempts, including 8-22 (36.4%) from three point range, and scored on 12-18 (66.7%) from the charity stripe.
The Oaks held a 37-34 rebounding advantage, despite losing the battle on the offensive glass 12-11. OCU had 20 assists and 19 turnovers, while Indiana Dabney handed out 15 helpers and committed 11 turnovers.
Oakland City will return to action on Monday, March 12, in the inaugural Christian College Invitational Tournament. Game time and matchup information will be real eased as soon as it becomes available.
February 23, 2012 - Mighty Oaks Set to Host Christian College Invitational Tournament
The Oakland City University Men's Basketball team will be hosting the Christian College Invitational Tournament in the Johnson Center March 12, 13 and 14. Click here for more information.

February 20, 2012 - Early Lead Not Enough for Mighty Oaks Against #6 Chargers
The Mighty Oaks jumped out to 17-6 lead in the first five minutes of their game against the NCAA Division II #6 ranked Chargers of the University of Alabama at Huntsville, but the Chargers proved up to the challenge, turning a 12 point halftime advantage into a 96-78 win over the home team.
Oakland City's Mitch Stahl played all 40 minutes in the contest, putting up a game high 27 points by shooting 9-13 from the floor and 9-11 from the foul line. Maurice Fuller, the only other OCU player to reach double digits in the scoring column, shot 9-15 from the field, making 5-8 from beyond the arc, as well as scoring his only free throw, to tally 24 points in the loss. Eric Head grabbed a game high eight rebounds to go along with six points while Stahl joined him to lead the team with six assists each.
The Chargers had six players in double digits, led by 21 points from Jaime Smith, followed by 16 from Conner Blasi, 13 from Zane Campbell, 12 from Ronnie Mack, and 10 each from Josh Magette and Andrew Donovan. Campbell pulled down a team high six rebounds, while Magette had a game high eight assists.
The Oaks shot 25-53 (47.2%) from the field, making 10-25 (40.0%) from beyond the arc, and connected on 18-23 (78.3%) from the line. The Chargers were 35-61 (57.4%) from the floor, hitting 12-26 (46.2%) of their three point attempts, and went 14-16 (87.5%) from the line.
OCU handed out 21 assists while turning the ball over 15 times, while the Chargers handed out 22 assists and committed 13 turnovers. The Oaks were outrebounded 36-22, including a 10-5 discrepancy on the offensive glass.
The Mighty Oaks will return to action on Saturday, February 25, as they host Indiana Dabney University. Coach Sandifar will be looking for his 400th victory at the helm of the Oakland City team on Senior Day, tipping off at 3:00 PM CST.
February 18, 2012 - Oaks Overpower St. Louis Christian College Behind Five Double Digit Scorers
Oakland City University hosted the Soldiers of St. Louis Christian College for the second time this season. Their first meeting, held on December 15, ended with OCU improving their record to 6-4 by winning 84-62. This matchup ended in a more lopsided 105-61 victory for the home team, marking Coach Sandifar's 399th win in his coaching tenure at Oakland City.
Mitch Stahl scored 19 points to lead the Oaks in scoring, making his last nine shots after missing his first attempt. Cameron LeFear added 14 points, making 6-10 from the field and going 2-3 from the foul line. Kendall Wittmer came off the bench to score 13 points, while Maurice Fuller added 12. Billy Newton was also in double figures, tallying 11 points and seven rebounds in the game. Brandon Morton led the team in rebounds, grabbing nine missed shots, and blocks with five.
The Soldiers were led in scoring by Jordan Colclasure, who made 7-16 from the field, including 6-13 from beyond the arc, to score a game high 20 points. Marcus McDowell went 7-24 from the field, scoring 16 points, while handing out a game high eight assists. Joshua Yates pulled down a game high 11 rebounds to lead SLCC.
For the game, OCU shot 42-83 (50.6%) from the floor, making 4-18 (22.2%) from beyond the arc, and connected on 17-22 (77.3%) from the foul line. The Soldiers shot 25-85 (29.4%) from the floor, making 8-26 (30.8%) from three point range, and scored all three of their free throw attempts.
The Oaks held a 59-43 advantage in rebounding, including a 25-25 tie on the offensive glass. OCU had 31 assists and eight turnovers in the game, while St. Louis Christian had 13 of each.
The Mighty Oaks will be back in action on Monday, February 20, as they host the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 PM CST.
February 11, 2012 - Trio of Oaks Lead Team Past Logan University
The Mighty Oaks got 19 points each from Mitch Stahl and Cameron LeFear, along with 16 from Maurice Fuller, on Saturday as they hosted Logan University in the Johnson Center. Each healthy member of OCU's team score in the 109-73 victory.
Stahl made 8-12 from the field, going 3-6 from the foul line, while LeFear hit 6-15 of his shot attempts, including 4-13 from beyond the arc, and made 3-3 from the charity stripe. Fuller was 7-11 from the field, including 2-4 from deep. Stahl joined Brandon Morton with nine rebounds each to lead the team, while Phil Schumacher came off the bench to hand out seven assists from his post position. Morton also had six blocks and four steals to go with his seven points.
Logan University was led in scoring by Connor Hilton, who shot 8-16 from the field and 5-9 from the line for 21 points. Matt Palm added 17 points, followed by 14 points from Nate Holloway and 11 points from Phil Berardi. Holloway and Hilton each tallied double-doubles by coming up with 10 missed shots apiece.
For the game, OCU shot 42-80 (52.5%) from the floor, making 11-30 (36.7%) from beyond the three point arc, and hit 14-20 (70.0%) from the line. Logan made 26-68 (38.2%) from the field, including 7-22 (31.8%) from three point range, while making 14-23 (60.9%) from the line.
The Oaks won the rebounding battle 51-35, including an advantage of 16-13 on the offensive end. OCU handed out 35 assists while turning the ball over just seven times, while Logan had 12 assists and 14 turnovers.
The Mighty Oaks will be back in action on Saturday, February 18, as they host the Soldiers of St. Louis Christian College in the Johnson Center. Game time is set for 3:00 PM CST.
February 6, 2012 - Eric Head's First Double-Double of the Season Not Enough at Maryville University
The Mighty Oaks made just 10 field goals in their game at Maryville University on Monday night, eclipsing their previous low of 17, set at Butler University, on their way to losing 84-49. The Oaks were coming off the best shooting night of the season, as they shot 35-55 (63.6%) from the floor against Heritage Baptist College.
Mitch Stahl led the way for the Oaks in scoring, making 2-8 from the floor and 11-12 from the foul line to score 15 points. Maurice Fuller added 12 points, while Eric Head had his first double-double of the season, scoring 11 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds.
The Saints were led in scoring by Gerald Shaw's 14 points, followed by 13 points from Trae Pemberton. Corey Washburn scored 12 points and Armon Provo scored 10 in the win.
For the game, the Oaks shot 10-41 (24.4%) from the floor, including 2-14 (14.3%) from three point range, while making 27-32 (84.4%) from the line. The Saints shot 31.59 (52.5%) from the field, making 13-29 (44.8%) from beyond the arc, and connected on 9-12 (75.0%) from the charity stripe.
The Oaks won the rebounding battle 33-31, including an advantage of 10-8 on the offensive glass. OCU had a season low five assists while turning the ball over 21 times. The Saints had 28 assists and 10 turnovers.
Oakland City returns to action on Saturday, February 11, when they play Logan University in the Johnson Center. Game time is set for 3:00 PM CST.
February 4, 2012 - Mighty Oaks Win Big at Heritage Baptist Again
Oakland City University traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana, on Saturday, February 4, to square off against Heritage Baptist College, a rematch of OCU's second game of the season, which they won 96-62. The Oaks again scored 96 points, but held HBC to just 44 on their way to gaining their fifteenth win of the year.
Mitch Stahl led five Mighty Oaks in double figure scoring, connecting on 8-11 shots while scoring 18 points. Brandon Morton added 14 points, while Eric Head chipped in with 11. Maurice Fuller and Trevor Smith each put 10 points on the OCU side of the ledger. It was the first time Smith had scored in double figures in a Mighty Oaks uniform. Phil Schumacher came off the bench to grab a team high nine rebounds, while Kendall Wittmer, making his first start of the year, handed out seven assists and picked up four steals.
Heritage Baptist was led in scoring by Dustin Richards, who made 7-20 from the floor, including 3-12 from beyond the arc, and made his only free throw to score 18 points. Ben VanRhoon added ten points in the loss.
The Oaks shot 35-55 (63.6%) from the field, including 7-9 (77.8%) from three point range, and 19-27 (70.4%) from the foul line. Heritage Baptist shot 14-66 (21.2%) from the floor, making 8-39 (20.5%) from beyond the arc, and connected on 8-14 (57.1%) from the charity stripe.
OCU won the rebounding battle 59-21, including a 14-11 advantage on the offensive glass. The Oaks handed out 29 assists while turning the ball over just eight time, while HBC had 11 assists and 13 turnovers.
Oakland CIty's men's basketball team will return to action on Monday in St. Louis, Missouri, when they try to avenge an early season loss against Maryville University. Tip off is slated for 7:00 PM CST.
January 28, 2012 - Crusaders Overcome 12 Point Halftime Deficit To Down Oaks 66-63
The Mighty Oaks led 41-29 at halftime of the 2012 Homecoming game against Great Lakes Christian College, but managed to score just 22 points in the second half on their way to a 66-63 loss. The game ended a ten-game home winning streak, dating back to November 26.
Cameron LeFear scored 26 points in the game, 21 of which came in the first half, shooting 9-15 from the field, including 5-9 from three point range. Kendall Wittmer came off the bench to score 12 points on 5-10 shooting. Brandon Morton grabbed a team high seven rebounds while Mitch Stahl had a team high in assists with five and LeFear led the team in steals with five.
The Crusaders were led in scoring by Kyle Downing, who shot 12-19 from the field on his way to scoring 25 points, while Maurice Jordan chipped in 11 points in the victory. Downing grabbed a game high nine rebounds, while Jordan handed out five assists in the game.
Oakland City shot 23-57 (40.4%) from the field, including 8-19 (42.1%) from three point range, while making 9-16 (56.3%) from the foul line. The Crusaders shot 30-57 (52.6%) from the floor, connecting on 1-8 (12.5%) from beyond the arc, and going 5-6 (83.3%) from the line.
The Oaks were outrebounded 44-21 in the game, including a deficit of 15-9 on the offensive glass. The oaks handed out 16 assists as a team while turning the ball over eight times, while Great Lakes Christian had 11 assists and 16 turnovers.
OCU's next game is slated for Saturday, February 4, as they travel to Heritage Baptist College. Game time is set for 3:00 PM CST.
January 25, 2012 - Mighty Oaks Win On the Road at St. Louis Pharmacy Despite Making Just Two Three Point Shots
The Mighty Oaks had shot no fewer than 15 three pointers in a game before Wednesday's matchup in the Pillbox on the campus of St. Louis College of pharmacy, but OCU put up just seven attempts, making only two, in their 66-50 win.
Only five Oaks scored in the game, with Mitch Stahl leading the way with a game high 22 points, thanks to his 8-12 shooting from the field and 6-8 free throw points. Brandon Morton had his first collegiate double-double, scoring 19 points on 8-11 shooting from the floor and 3-3 from the line, while grabbing a game high 10 rebounds. Maurice Fuller added 13 points while Cameron LeFear scored 10 points. Fuller and LeFear each had seven assists while LeFear grabbed six steals and Morton blocked four shots. Kendall Wittmer was the only other OCU player to score, making 2-2 free throws in the game.
The Eutectics were led in scoring by Shawn Menckowski, who tallied 20 points on 8-20 shooting, including 4-10 from beyond the arc. Adam Thalla added 13 points while Luke O'Brien grabbed seven rebounds, including six offensive boards, to lead the team.
For the game, OCU shot 26-46 (56.5%) from the floor, connecting on 2-7 (28.6%) from three, and making 12-15 (80.0%) from the line. St. Louis College of Pharmacy made 20-63 (31.7%) from the field, including 5-22 (22.7%) from beyond the arc, and 5-6 (83.3%) from the line.
Oakland City outrebounded the Eutectics 34-30, but had a deficit of 16-7 on the offensive glass. The Oaks handed out 22 assists while turning the ball over 14 times, while STLCOP had 11 assists and 12 turnovers. OCU committed a season low eight fouls in the game.
The Mighty Oaks return to action on Saturday, January 28, as they are set to host Great Lakes Christian College in the Johnson Center at 3:00 PM CST.
January 21, 2012 - Five Oaks Score in Double Figures in Win Over Ohio Midwestern
Oakland City University's men's basketball team shot 59.6% from the field, including 64.3% from three point range, to knock off the Rams of Ohio Midwestern University. The victory was their tenth straight home win, as the Oaks have won nine of their last ten games overall.
The Mighty Oaks were led in scoring by Mitch Stahl, who tallied a double-double by scoring 26 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Stahl also had eight assists and two steals. Cameron LeFear scored 19 points, shooting 3-5 from the field, including 3-4 from beyond the arc, and making 10-11 from the foul line, while he handed out nine assists. Maurice Fuller added 15 points, while Brandon Morton scored 14. Kendall Wittmer came off the bench to put 11 points on the Oaks' side of the ledger.
The Rams were led by Nick McCoy, who notched 17 points, followed by 12 points from Marquez Johnson and 11 points each from Greg Howard and Gene Primus. Steve Rimmer pulled down seven rebounds in the game to go with six points.
Oakland City shot 31-52 (59.6%) from the field, making 9-14 (64.3%) from three point range, and hitting 26-33 (78.8%) from the line. Ohio Midwestern shot 24-73 (32.9%) from the floor, connecting on 5-20 (25.0%) from beyond the arc, and hitting 20-24 (83.3%) of their foul line attempts.
The Oaks outrebounded the Rams 41-34, while Ohio Midwestern held a 20-8 advantage on the offensive glass. OCU handed out 26 assists in the game while turning the ball over 20 times. The Rams had 10 assists and 14 turnovers.
Oakland City is schedule to travel to St. Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday, January 25, for a game against St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Game time is set for 7:00 PM CST.
January 14, 2012 - Mighty Oaks Overcome Fourteen Minute Field Goal Drought to Win at Concordia
The Mighty Oaks appeared to be well on their way to an easy win on Saturday in St. Louis, Missouri, where they faced the Preachers of Concordia Seminary, as they opened up a 7-2 lead after just 2:23 had run off the clock. The win would not come as easily, however, as the Oaks had to turn around a 10 point halftime deficit to win by the score of 60-56.
Maurice Fuller made a layup with 16:15 on the clock to put the Oaks ahead 9-4, but that is when everything seemed to fall apart for OCU. Aside from Mitch Stahl going 3-4, the Oaks failed to score a single basket until Fuller connected on a three point shot with 2:05 left in the half. The drought lasted 14:10, and saw the Oaks shoot a combined 0-19 during that stretch, with seven turnovers.
Despite their horrendous shooting performance in the opening period, the Oaks went into the locker room down just ten points, with the score set at 27-17. The Oaks shot 6-31 (19.4%) in the half, making 2-10 (20.0%) from three point range. They also had an uncharacteristic three assists, while committing seven turnovers.
The second half saw the Oaks connect on 14-24 (58.3%) from the field, including 4-12 (33.3%) from beyond the arc, while hitting 11-13 (84.6%) from the charity stripe. Concordia kept the lead most of the second half, but OCU overtook the Preachers on back to back baskets by Fuller, the second a three, to give the Oaks a 48-45 advantage with 6:08 to play. Oakland City held on to the lead the rest of the way, despite continuous pressure put on by Concordia, and the Oaks went on to win by four, 60-56.
The leading scorer in the game was Mitch Stahl, who had a double double by scoring 25 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Stahl made 9-14 shots and 7-10 free throws in the game. Maurice Fuller added 17 points in the victory, while Cam LeFear chipped in with eight to go with his team high five assists and two steals.
The Preachers were led by Joshua Duffy, who scored 20 points on 8-10 shooting, including 3-4 from three point range. Calvin Kapels had a double double for Concordia, tallying 14 points and ten boards. Kapels was 6-23 from the floor, making 2-10 from beyond the arc.
For the game, the Mighty Oaks shot 20-55 (36.4%) from the field, including 6-22 (27.3%) from three point range, and 14-18 (77.8%) from the foul line. The Preachers were 23-59 (39.0%) from the floor, hitting 7-26 (26.9%) from deep, and making 3-4 (75.0%) from the charity stripe.
Oakland City outrebounded Concordia 41-34, including a 14-10 advantage on the offensive end. OCU had 15 assists in the game, while committing 12 turnovers, while the Preachers handed out 18 assists to go with 14 turnovers.
The Mighty Oaks will return to action on Saturday, January 21, when the host Ohio Midwestern College. Game time is set for a 3:00 PM tipoff.
January 11, 2012 - Three Players Score 20+ Points as the Oaks Beat the Saints Again
Oakland City University's men's basketball team got back into the winner's column against the Saints of Central Christian College of the Bible, beating them for the second time this season. Following their 100-80 victory on November 26, the Oaks won 94-49, improving to 11-5 on the year.
Maurice Fuller scored 21 points in the game, shooting 7-14 from the field, including 6-11 from three point range. Cameron LeFear and Mitch Stahl added 20 points each, while Billy Newton came off the bench to score 10 points in the win. Trevor Smith scored seven points to go with a team high ten rebounds. Smith, LeFear and Fuller each handed out four assists, while LeFear grabbed four steals.
Kris Holford had a double-double for the Saints, tallying 20 points and 11 rebounds. Jonas Stillings and Jerrell Harvey each scored 11 points in the loss. Stillings had two steals, while Israel Ramsey had three assists.
The Oaks shot 38-76 (50.0%) in the game, going 9-29 (31.0%) from beyond the arc, and made 9-12 (75.0%) from the foul line. The Saints shot 16-48 (33.3%) from the floor, making 3-12 (25.0%) from three point land, and 14-19 (73.7%) from the charity stripe.
Oakland City won the rebounding battle 43-31, including an 18-10 advantage on the offensive glass. OCU had 28 assists and eight turnovers, while CCCB had 10 assists and 23 turnovers, and the steal discrepancy was 18-3 in favor of the Mighty Oaks.
Oakland City University will travel to St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, January 14, to face Concordia Seminary. Game time is scheduled for 3:00 PM CST.
January 9, 2012 - Oaks See Six Game Win Streak Come to an End at Alabama-Huntsville
The Oaks carried a record of 10-4 into their game against the 10-2 Chargers of the University of Alabama-Huntsville, currently the 13th ranked team in NCAA Division II. The Oaks took an early 1-0 lead on a free throw by Mitch Stahl, but the Chargers quickly took over, leading the rest of the way en route to a 92-64 win.
Kendall WIttmer came off the bench to lead the Oaks in scoring, knocking down all four of his shots, including two three pointers, while going 4-4 from the line and finishing with 14 points. Mitch Stahl and Maurice Fuller each scored 13 points, while Brandon Morton came off the bench to pull down a team high seven rebounds and block the only shot for the Oaks.
The Chargers had five players score in double figures, as Jaime Smith scored a game high 19 points. Zane Campbell added 16, followed by 15 points from Conner Blasi, 13 from Ronnie Mack, and 10 points from Josh Magette. Magette and Blasi each had double-doubles, as Magette handed out 12 assists and Blasi had 10 rebounds, both game highs.
For the game, the Oaks shot 22-49 (44.9%) from the floor, making 9-21 (42.9%) from three point range, and 11-18 (61.1%) from the line. The Chargers shot 33-60 (55.0%) from the floor, going 12-26 (46.2%) from beyond the arc, and making 14-18 (77.8%) of their free throw attempts.
The loss drops the Oaks to 10-5 on the year as they return home to face the Saints of Central Christian College of the Bible on Wednesday, January 11. Game time is set for 8:00 PM CST.
January 7, 2012 - Five Oaks Score in Double Figures as OCU Downs Riverhawks Again
The Mighty Oaks hosted the Riverhawks of West Virginia University-Parkersburg for the second day in a row on Saturday, winning 116-55, giving the Oaks their sixth straight win in as many games, all at home.
Mitch Stahl again led the Oaks in scoring, making his last eight shots after missing his first attempt of the game. Stahl also made 5-6 free throws, scoring a game high 21 points to go with eight points, eight assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Maurice Fuller chipped in with 16 points, followed by 12 points each from Eric Head and Brandon Morton. Kendall Wittmer added 11 points off the bench.
Keith Penn had yet another double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Anthony Youngblood had 18 points, while Mitchell Parsons grabbed 13 boards and scored eight points.
The Oaks shot 43-71 (60.6%) from the field, including 27-36 (75.0%) in the second half. They made 11-23 (47.8%) from three point range, 7-9 (77.8%) in the second period. OCU improved on their foul shooting, making 19-27 (70.4%). The Riverhawks went 23-75 (30.7%) from the field, including 5-21 (23.8%) from beyond the arc, and shot 4-8 (50.0%) from the line.
Oakland City outrebounded WVU-Parkersburg 46-44, but lost the defensive rebounding battle 22-12. The Oaks handed out 31 assists while turning the ball over 12 times, verses 15 assists and 26 turnovers by the Hawks.
The Mighty Oaks next game is slated for Monday, January 9, in Huntsville, Alabama, as they face the Chargers of the University of Alabama-Huntsville. It will be Dr. Sandifar's 1,000th career game as a head coach, including his time at the helm in both high school and college. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
January 6, 2012 - Mitch Stahl Shoots 10-10; Leads Oaks to Victory Over Riverhawks
Mitch Stahl's night was nearly perfect as he scored 27 points to lead the Oakland City men's basketball team to a 115-64 victory over the Riverhawks of West Virginia University-Parkersburg.
Stahl made all ten of his shot attempts, including one three point basket, grabbed eight rebounds, had one assist, one blocked shot and one steal. His lone flaw was one missed free throw out of seven attempts.
Maurice Fuller scored 20 points, shooting 8-13 from the field, and making 4-7 three point shots. Brandon Morton came off the bench to score 16 points while blocking a game high three shots. Morton, Stahl and Billy Newton each led the team with eight rebounds, while Yancey Duckett and Cameron LeFear handed out six assists apiece. Duckett and Ethan Knepp had three steals each in the win.
Two Riverhawk players had double-doubles in the game, as Keith Penn scored a game high 28 points to go with 11 rebounds and Anthony Youngblood tallied 21 points and pulled down 12 missed shots.
The Oaks shot 43-70 (61.4%) from the floor, including 12-26 (46.2%) from beyond the arc, and made 17-28 (60.7%) free throws. The Riverhawks connected on 26-73 (35.6%) of their shots, making 5-31 (16.1%) from three point range, and 7-23 (30.4%) from the foul line.
Oakland City outrebounded WV-Parkersburg 47-40, but lost the offensive rebound battle 18-13. The Oaks handed out 35 assists while turning the ball over 17 times, while the Riverhawks had 13 assists to go with 22 turnovers.
The Mighty Oaks will again face the Riverhawks in the Johnson Center on Saturday, January 7. Game time is set for 3:00 PM CST.
January 3, 2012 - Oakland City Mighty Oaks Defeat Boyce Bulldogs 108-55
The Mighty Oaks played their first game in nearly a month on Tuesday evening in the Johnson Center, hosting the Bulldogs of Boyce College, based in Louisville, Kentucky. Five different OCU players scored in double figures, leading the Oaks to a 108-55 victory.
Kendall Wittmer led all scorers, making 7-11 shots, including 4-7 from the three point line, and his only free throw, scoring 19 points. Eric Head and Maurice Fuller each added 15 points, while Brandon Morton and Mitch Stahl chipped in with 12 points apiece. Stahl joined Trevor Smith with eight rebounds each, while Smith handed out six assists to lead the team. Smith and Morton each had four blocked shots and three steals.
The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Beau Hendrick, who shot 7-11 from the field, including 2-4 from three point range, to put up 16 points. Trey Ethridge added 13 points and Matt Powell knocked home 12 in the loss. Ethridge led the team in rebounding, grabbing eight missed shots, while Emmanuel Bland handed out six assists and came up with two steals.
The Oaks shot 40-73 (54.8%) from the field, including 16-35 (45.7%) from beyond the arc, and 12-15 (80.0%) from the line. The Bulldogs finished the game 23-61 (37.7%) from the field, connecting on 5-19 (26.3%) from three, and made 4-9 (44.4%) foul shots.
Oakland City won the rebounding battle 44-32, including a 13-10 advantage on the offensive glass. OCU handed out 31 assists while turning the ball over just nine times, while BC had 14 assists and 20 turnovers.
The win brought the Oaks' record to 8-4 for the year as they head into Friday's matchup against West Virginia-Parkersburg. Game time is set for 7:00 PM CST.
January 2, 2012 - West Virginia University-Parkersburg Games Rescheduled
The Oakland City University Men's Basketball games against the Riverhawks of West Virginia University-Parkersburg, originally scheduled for Friday, December 30, and Saturday, December 31, have been rescheduled. The games will now take place on Friday, January 6, at 7:00 PM, and on Saturday, January 7, at 3:00 PM CST..
December 17, 2011 - Mighty Oaks Down Hilltoppers of Ohio University-Chillicothe
The Oakland City University men's basketball team head into Christmas Break with a record of 7-4 after defeating the OU-Chillicothe Hilltoppers 79-56 in the Johnson Center.
Cameron LeFear scored a season-high 24 points to lead all scorers in the game, shooting 9-13 from the floor, including 6-9 from three-point range. Joining LeFear in double digit scoring were Mitch Stahl, who scored 16 points, and Billy Newton, who added 12. Stahl pulled down a team-high nine rebounds, while LeFear handed out a game-high in assists with nine. Stahl also had five blocked shots, a season-high, and LeFear had three steals.
The Hilltoppers were led by Cody Chenault's 13 points off the bench, while John Danicki tallied a double-double by scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
For the game, the Oaks shot 31-64 (48.4%) from the field, making 9-22 (40.9%) of their three point attempts, and going 8-10 (80.0%) from the foul line. The Hilltoppers shot 23-60 (38.3%) from the floor, hitting 6-21 (28.6%) from three, and making 4-13 (30.8%) from the free throw line.
The Oaks outrebounded the Hilltoppers 41-33, but the teams each had 12 offensive boards. OCU handed out 27 assists while turning the ball over 12 times. OU-Chillicothe had 11 assists and 14 turnovers.
Oakland City University's men's basketball team will return to action on December 30 when the host West Virginia-Parkersburg. Game time is set for 8:00 PM CST.
December 15, 2011 - Big First Half Lead Ends in Mighty Oaks Victory over St. Louis Christian
The Mighty Oaks hosted the Soldiers of St. Louis Christian College tonight in the Johnson Center, winning 84-62. Oakland City led 44-22 at the half, but the teams played to a 40-40 tie in the second half. It was the 31st meeting between the two teams and the 31st win for the Oaks.
Mitch Stahl was the leading scorer for OCU, adding 22 points to the Mighty Oaks' side of the ledger. Maurice Fuller and Cameron LeFear each scored in double figures, scoring 12 and 11 points respectively. Brandon Morton pulled down a team-high six rebounds to go with eight points off the bench. LeFear led the team in assists with four, while Trevor Smith had two blocked shots and two steals.
The Soldiers were led by Chris Weaver's 13 points and nine rebounds, followed by ten points each from Jordan Colclasure and Kendrick Turner. Weaver also had a game-high seven assists.
For the game, the Oaks shot 27-60 (45.0%) from the floor, including 8-20 (40.0%) from three-point range, and made 22-27 (81.5%) free throws. The Soldiers made 23-62 (37.1%) from the field, connecting on 9-23 (39.1%) from beyond the arc, and hitting 7-11 (63.6%) free throws.
The Oaks had 19 assists, ten turnovers and ten steals, compared with 16 assists, 14 turnovers and six steals from St. Louis Christian College. Oakland City also won the rebounding battle 38-35, but were outrebounded 14-13 on the offensive end.
The Mighty Oaks will be back in action on Saturday, December 17, when they face Ohio University-Chillicothe. Game time is set for 3:00 PM CST.
December 10, 2011 - Mighty Oaks Beat Cougars of Ohio University-Lancaster
The Oakland City University men's basketball team hosted the Cougars of Ohio University-Lancaster on Saturday afternoon in the Johnson Center, winning 90-50, and improved to 5-4 on the season. Mitch Stahl had a double-double in the game, scoring 21 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
The Oaks led just 36-30 at the half, but were able to take control of the second half, holding the visiting Cougars to just 28.4% shooting in the second period, including 6.3% from the three-point line.
Joining Stahl in double figures were Billy Newton, who made 7-8 field goal attempts, along with 2-4 free throws, to score 16 points, followed by Maurice Fuller, who added 13 points, and Brandon Morton, who chipped in with 12 points off the bench. Newton had nine rebounds, while Eric Head pulled down eight boards while scoring eight points. Fuller handed out a game-high five assists, while Newton had two blocked shots.
The Cougars had four players in double figure scoring, led by Zach Bobo and Joseph Rice, who each had 11 points. Andy Gerschutz and Patrick Blevins added 10 apiece to their team's effort. Rice also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds and Gerschutz handed out a game-high five assists.
For the game, the Oaks shot 36-65 (55.4%) from the floor, including 6-19 (31.6%) from three point range, while going 12-20 (60.0%) from the foul line. The Cougars made 19-67 (28.4%) field goals, including 3-28 (10.7%) from beyond the arc, and 9-14 (64.3%) from the charity stripe.
Oakland City outrebounded OU-Lancaster 50-33, despite trailing on the offensive glass 16-15. As a team, OCU had 27 assists and just ten turnovers, while OU-L had only eight assists and 14 turnovers.
The Mighty Oaks will return to action on Thursday, December 15, when they host the Soldiers of St. Louis Christian College. Game time is set for 7:00 PM CST.
December 8, 2011 - Fuller Equals School Record in Loss to Panther of Eastern Illinois
Freshman guard Maurice Fuller was perfect from three-point range on Wednesday evening in Charleston, Illinois, equaling the best single game shooting performance from beyond the arc in school history, matching Jon Bruner (vs. Concordia, 2-24-90) and Paul Decker (vs. OSU-Newark, 12-10-93). However, his efforts were not enough to give the Oaks the win, playing their third NCAA Division I school in their last six games, losing 83-67.
Fuller scored 20 points in the game, trailing teammate Mitch Stahl, who led all scorers with 22 points. Both players shot 7-12 from the floor, including a combined 7-7 from three-point range, while Stahl made 7-9 from the foul line. Cameron LeFear came off the bench for the second game in a row and scored seven points on 2-6 shooting from the field, making 1-3 three-point attempts, and 2-3 free throws. LeFear dished out a team-high five assists while grabbing three steals.
The Panthers had three players in double-figures, with LC Doss scoring 21 points, followed by Josh Piper's 17 and Jonathan Miller's 15. Alfonzo McKinnie pulled down a game-high nine rebounds to go along with six points, while Doss came up with five steals.
The Oaks shot 23-50 (46.0%) for the game, including 10-15 (66.7%) three-point shooting, and 11-16 (68.8%) from the foul line. The Panthers made 32-54 (59.3%) of their shots, including 16-21 (76.2%) in the first half. Eastern Illinois was 8-17 (47.1%) from three point range and 11-16 (68.8) from the charity stripe.
OCU outrebounded EIU 28-27, including an advantage of 11-8 on the offensive glass. However, the Oaks turned the ball over 21 times as opposed to just 14 turnovers for the Panthers.
Oakland City will return to action on Saturday, December 10, when they face Ohio University-Lancaster in the Johnson Center. Game time is scheduled for 3:00 PM CST.
December 3, 2011 - Oaks Improve to 4-3 With Win Over Ohio State-Mansfield
Oakland City's men's basketball team prevailed in what turned out to be a one-sided game on Saturday afternoon in the Johnson Center. Leading 45-31 at the half, the Mighty Oaks pulled away in the second period, winning 99-62.
Coach Sandifar shuffled up the starting line up, giving Phil Schumacher, Ethan Knepp and Trevor Smith each their first start of the season, while Mitch Stahl and Maurice Fuller rounded out the first five. Stahl led the team in scoring, knocking down 7-11 shots and 3-4 free throws on his way to scoring 17 points. Fuller added 16 of his own, shooting 4-7 from the floor, including 2-5 three-pointers, and 6-8 foul shots. Knepp chipped in with 15 points on 5-9 three pointers, the only shots he attempted. Cameron LeFear and Kendall Wittmer both came off the bench to score in double figures, notching 11 and 10 points respectively.
Fuller and Smith each pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, followed by Brandon Morton's six point and six rebound performance off the bench. Fuller also had team-highs in assists, with six, and steals, with three.
For the Mavericks, Evan Mills had a double-double by halftime and finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds to go along with two assists, two steals and three blocks. Shawn Brown scored a game-high 26 points, shooting 9-21 from the floor, including 8-12 three point shots.
The Oaks shot 37-67 (55.2%) as a team, going 13-31 (41.9%) from beyond the arc. Mansfield hit 24-62 (38.7%) shots, making 12-24 (50.0%) of their threes. OCU was 12-19 (63.2%) from the charity stripe, outshooting OSU-Mansfield's 2-8 (25.0%) effort.
The Oaks outrebounded their opponents 44-32, including a 15-13 advantage on the offensive glass. OCU also had 27 assists and just six turnovers. The Mavericks, however, had just 11 assists and were forced into 12 turnovers.
Oakland City's next contest is scheduled for Wednesday, December 7, in Charleston, Illinois, where they will face Eastern Illinois University at 7:00 PM CST. Next Saturday, the Oaks will host Ohio University-Lancaster at 3:00 PM CST.
November 29, 2011 - Bulldogs Prove too Much for Mighty Oaks, Who Drop to 3-3
The Mighty Oaks were given a rare chance to play against the two-time defending NCAA Division I National Runner-Up team, traveling to historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, for their first ever regular-season matchup with the Butler Bulldogs.
Despite leading the game 2-0 one minute into the game, and again at 4-2 with 17:51 on the clock in the first half, Oakland City was not able to keep up with the powerhouse Bulldogs, as they failed to get into double digit scoring until Mitch Stahl scored on a layup with 4:22 remaining in the opening period to put the score at 33-11 in favor of the host team.
After trailing 42-18 at halftime, the Oaks opened the second half on a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 19, but Butler responded with a run of 16-3 to push the lead out of reach at 60-28. The deficit continued to climb steadily throughout the remainder of the game and the Oaks lost by the final score of 98-53, falling to 3-3 on the young season.
Maurice Fuller, freshman from Westfield, Indiana, just outside of Indianapolis, was the leading scorer in the game, playing all 40 minutes and tallying 20 points on 6-13 shooting, 2-4 from three-point range, and 6-8 from the foul line. The only other Oak to score in double figures was Cameron LeFear, who scored 16 by shooting 6-14 from the field, including 1-5 from beyond the arc, and making all three of his free throw attempts.
The leading rebounder for the Oaks was Eric Head, who pulled down six missed shots, but scored just two points in 19 minutes of play. LeFear, Fuller and Mitch Stahl each handed out a pair of assists while Stahl led the team in steals with two.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs placed six players in double figure scoring, led by Andrew Smeathers, who scored 17 points. Chase Stigall added 15, Andrew Smith tallied 14 and Chrishawn Hopkins put up 11 to the Butler ledger. Kameron Woods and Erik Fromm each scored ten points in the win. Smith and Woods each had double-doubles by grabbing 12 and ten rebounds respectively.
Despite only losing the turnover battle 14-10, the Oaks were outrebounded 56-29, including a 10-22 deficit on the offensive glass.
Oakland City's next game is set for Saturday, December 3, when they host the Ohio State University-Mansfield Mavericks in the Johnson Center. Game time is set for 3:00 PM CST.
November 26, 2011 - Oaks Have Four Players in Double Figures in Win Over Saints
Cameron LeFear scored 22 points to lead the Oaks to a 100-80 victory over the visiting Saints of Central Christian College of the Bible on Saturday afternoon in the Johnson Center. Maurice Fuller, getting the first start of his young collegiate career, scored 19 points, followed by 17 points from Mitch Stahl and 15 points from Eric Head.
Oakland City took a 40-36 advantage into halftime and opened the second half on an 11-7 run to push the lead to eight at 51-43. The Saints responded by scoring the next five points to cut the lead to three, but the Oaks responded by scoring the next seven to push the lead to ten points. Again the Saints responded, trimming the lead to five at 58-53. The score remaining within ten points until Cameron LeFear connected on a pair of free throws and assisted on a fastbreak layup by Eric Head to give the Oaks a 68-56 lead with ten minutes to play. The Oaks lead never dropped below 11 points the rest of the way as the final score showed the home team as victors by 20 points.
LeFear shot 8-20 from the field, hitting 4-8 from three-point range and making both of his free-throw attempts, scoring a team high 22 points to go along with four rebounds, four steals and eight assists. Maurice Fuller shot 6-12 from the floor, making 3-7 from deep and hitting 4-4 from the charity stripe, to score 19 points. Fuller added four rebounds, one steal and one assist. Mitch Stahl made 6-11 from the floor and 5-7 from the foul line en route to scoring 17 points. Stahl grabbed a game high nine rebounds and handed out eight assists. Eric Head scored 15 points on 6-10 shooting, making 2-5 from deep, while pulling in five boards and handing out two assists. Yancey Duckett came off the bench for the first time this season to score four points and grab six rebounds.
The Saints were led in scoring by Terry Jones, who put up a game high 34 points on 13-23 shooting, including 1-1 from three point range, and 7-9 from the line. Jonas Stillings scored 18 points, shooting 6-13 from the field, hitting 5-6 three point shots, and making his lone free throw attempt. Hayden Hagerman added 13 points and Kris Holford scored 10 in the loss. Jones grabbed a team high nine rebounds while Holford blocked three shots and grabbed eight boards. Stillings handed out seven assists and Jones had four steals in the game.
For the game, the Oaks shot 36-73 (49.3%) from the floor, making 12-30 (40.0%) from three point range, and went 16-22 (72.7%) from the foul line. The Saints shot 29-63 (46.0%) from the floor, hitting 8-14 (57.1%) three point tries, and making 14-17 (82.4%) free throws.
Oakland City outrebounded Central Christian 45-32, including a 19-10 advantage on the offensive boards.
The Mighty Oaks return to action on Tuesday, November 29, when the travel to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, to square off against the two-time defending NCAA Division I Runner Up Butler Bulldogs. Game time is set for 7:00 PM.
November 22, 2011 - Men's Basketball Drops a Close One to Maryville University
Mitch Stahl and Ethan Knepp were the game's leading scorers, putting up 19 and 13 points respectively, but the Oaks could not overcome a 33-29 halftime deficit and lost 66-63. The Saints, members of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference, improve to 3-0 on the year while the Oaks drop to 2-2.
Behind Stahl and Knepp, Billy Newton and Eric Head each tallied eight points, followed by four from Kendall Wittmer and three points each from Yancey Duckett, Cameron LeFear and Phil Schumacher. Maurice Fuller rounded out the scoring for the Oaks with two points. Newton was the game's leading rebounder, pulling down nine boards, while Head grabbed six. Knepp handed out five assists, leading Head and LeFear who each had three. Stahl had the game's only blocked shot. He also had two steals, joining Knepp with half of the team total.
The Saints were led by Tyler Waite's 12 points, followed by Corey Washburn's 11, as they led a balanced scoring attack. Jacob Dulle scored eight while pulling down a team-high six rebounds.
The Oaks shot 44.2% (19-42) from the field, including 36.0% (9-25) from three-point range. The Saints were 53.7% (22-41) from the floor, connecting on 36.4% (8-22) from deep. Oakland City went 16-21 (76.2%) from the foul line, while Maryville hit 14-22 (63.6%) of their attempts. In a balanced statistical game, the Oaks were outrebounded 26-27, but won the battle on the offensive boards, grabbing five to the Saints' four. Both teams had ten turnovers.
Oakland City will return to action on Saturday, November 26, as they square off against Central Christian College of the Bible from Moberly, Missouri. Game time is set for 3:00 PM.
November 12, 2011 - Mighty Oaks Open Season With Win Over Warriors of Akron-Wayne
Four Oaks scored in double figures on Saturday, November 12, as OCU opened their men's basketball regular season in the Johnson Center against the University of Akron-Wayne. Oakland City won the game 89-78 after leading 41-37 at the half.
Mitch Stahl, a junior guard from Spencer, Indiana, was the leading scorer for the Oaks with 18, followed by Kendall Wittmer, sophomore guard from Odon, Indiana, with 17. Wittmer played just 16 minutes, but went 5-6 from three point range, tying for the fourth best game in school history for three point percentage. Sophomore transfer Cameron LeFear, a guard from Flint, Michigan, and Maurice Fuller, a freshman guard from Westfield, Indiana, each scored 15 in the Oaks win.
Trevor Smith, a freshman who transferred to OCU from Moraine Valley Community College, scored eight points off the bench while pulling down a team-high 11 rebounds. Ethan Knepp, a sophomore transfer from Vincennes University, added nine points while handing out a game-leading six assists. Stahl also had two blocked shots and Knepp came up with three steals.
The Warriors of Akron-Wayne were led in scoring by Drew Moss, who tallied 24 points to go along with his four assists. Deshon Hudson scored 12 and Joe Muntean added 10 in a losing effort. Ronnie Pratt scored seven points, but pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds.
For the game, the Oaks shot 42.9% (30-70) from the field and 38.2% (13-34) from three point range. They held the Warriors to 38.9% (28-72) from the floor and 26.5% (9-34) from beyond the arc. Both teams shot free throws very well, but OCU had the edge, shooting 84.2% (16-19) over the 76.5% (13-17) put up be Akron-Wayne.
The Oaks will return to action on Wednesday, November 16, when they travel to St. Louis, Missouri, to face Logan University. The two teams split last season with each team losing on the road. Game time is set for 7:00 PM CST.
July 30, 2011 - OCU Standout Jared Maners Named 2nd Team NCAA D-II All-Independent Team; Freshman Yancey Duckett Named NCAA D-II All-Independent Freshman of the Year; Fellow Freshman Billy Newton Named 1st-Team Independent All-Freshman
Mighty Oaks basketball had a talented freshman class last season, proven by the inclusion of two of the young standouts on the NCAA D-II Independent All-Freshman Team. Billy Newton, a forward from Centerpoint, Indiana, and Yancey Duckett, a guard from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, were both among just five freshman chosen by the NCAA D-II Independent Collegiate Athletic Association, known as the ICAA.
Jared Maners was named to the 2-Team All-Independent after completing a two-year career in an OCU uniform in which he scored over 1,000 points.
The full results, as selected by the ICAA, were:
2010-11 NCAA D-II All-Independent Men's Basketball Team
Coach of the Year - Chad Lister - North Greenville
Player of the Year - Paul Harrison - North Greenville
Freshman of the Year - Yancey Duckett - Oakland City University
First Team
Nigel Munson, Jr., G - University of D.C.
Brandon Herbert, Jr., G - University of D.C.
Robert Wilson, So., F - Urbana University
Paul Harrison, Jr., F - North Greenville
Greg Rice, Jr., F - Central State
Second Team
Wesley Jones, Sr., G - Central State
Jonathan Lawrence, Sr., G - Palm Beach Atlantic
Jared Maners, Sr., G - Oakland City University
Jamie Newton, Sr., G - Washington Adventist
David Wood, Sr., G - Palm Beach Atlantic
Third Team
Gerald Campbell, Jr., F - Central State
Luke Lattimer, Jr., F - North Greenville
Khalid Martin, Sr., F - Washington Adventist
Sharif Muhammad Jr., Jr., F - Urbana University
Eric Peguero, Sr., G - Washington Adventist
All-Freshman Team
Philip Izevbehai, Fr., G - University of D.C.
Ziad Ashmawy, Fr., F - University D.C.
Chris Dean, Fr., G - North Greenville
Yancey Duckett, Fr., G - Oakland City University
Billy Newton, Fr., F - Oakland City University
News Archive
May 18, 2011 - Coach Sandifar's Camp of Champions to be Held June 26-30
Dr. Mike Sandifar, head men's basketball coach at Oakland City University, will host his annual Camp of Champions June 26-30. The camp is open to players in grades 6-12. The cost for the camp is $215 per player and includes meals, a camp t-shirt, awards, instruction and insurance. More information may be found in the camp brochure (print and mail for registration) or by contacting Coach Sandifar.
Mar. 19, 2011 - Oakland City Finishes Year By Beating #7 Southeastern University to Finish Fifth at NCCAA National Tournament; Maners Named All-American
Jared Maners, Jeremiah Mitchell and Hunter Elliott finished their collegiate careers with a win on Saturday in the consolation championship of the 2011 NCCAA Division I National Tournament, beating the seventh ranked Southeastern University Fire 61-56. It was the twentieth win for the season, matching their mark from last season, and finishing fifth in the tournament, two places above last year. Maners was named NCCAA Division I First Team All-American, the ninth season in a row Coach Sandifar's team has had a player honored at that level. Last season, Nate Schumacher received the honor and the season before Brandon Hopf was named to the First Team.
After taking a ten point lead into the locker room at 32-22, the FIre opened the second half with a 11-2 run to trail by just one point at 34-33 with just under thirteen minutes to play. Yancey Duckett connected on a three-pointer to extend the lead to four, but the Fire responded by scoring the next nine points to take a five point advantage at 42-37 with less than ten minuets to go. Mitch Stahl scored the Oaks' next six points, pulling the score even at 43-43 with a pair of free throws. The Oaks regained the lead on a pair of foul shots by Eric Head, making the score 47-46 in favor of the home team with three and a half minutes remaining. The Oaks held the lead the rest of the way thanks to their free throw shooting.
Jared Maners scored a game-high 23 points, finishing his career with 1,050 points. Jeremiah Mitchell scored just two points in the game, but grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Yancey Duckett added 12 points to go along with his team-high two steals and joined Mitch Stahl to lead the team with three assists each. Eric Head scored an additional 11 points in the win.
Southeastern was led by Malcolm Pollock's 12 points and eight rebounds. Chris Patterson came off the bench to score 10 points. John Williams scored seven points while pulling down eight rebounds and handing out three assists with two blocked shots. Nate Marshall set a school record in the game, scoring over 2,000 points in his career, and had eight in the game to go with his game-high six steals.
For the game, the Oaks shot just 37.2% from the field, 16-43, but made 42.9% of their three point attempts, going 9-21 from long range. Southeastern made just 35.1% of their shots, shooting 20-57, including just 17.6% from three point range, making just three of their 17 attempts. The difference in the game was free throws. Oakland City made 76.9% of their tries, making 20-26. Jared Maners (9-9), Mitch Stahl (4-4), Eric Head (2-2) and Randy Leintz (1-1) each made all of their freebies. The Fire hit just 52% of their attempts, going 13-25.
#1 seeded Dallas Baptist University beat #2 Spring Arbor University in the championship game 78-64. Willie Pickvet and DJ Baisden from SAU, and Nick Fox and Braxton Adamson from DBU, along with Clarence Smith of third place #3 King College, were named to the all-tournament team.
Mar. 18, 2011 - Mighty Oaks Advance to Fifth Place Game by Winning Thriller Over #5 Hope International University at NCCAA National Tournament
Oakland City hit the floor against the fifth seeded Royals of Hope International University from Fulerton, California, in the consolation semifinals of the NCCAA Division I National Tournament on Friday. After taking a 31-21 lead into halftime, the Oaks held on to win by the score of 54-53, advancing to the fifth place game, guaranteeing them a better finish than last season.
Jared Maners started the scoring in the game by hitting one of two free throws. The Royals scored the next four points to take a three point lead at 4-1. The Oaks responded by going on a 12-5 run to lead by six at 13-7. They built as much as a 12 point lead, held at 31-19 with one and a half minutes to go in the half, but a pair of free throws from HIU's David Wedge were the last scored in the half, giving the Oaks a 10 point lead at 31-21 heading into the locker room.
Oakland City increased their lead to 14 at 36-22 early in the second period, but the Royals cut it to just five points with a run of 11-2. OCU maintained a double-digit lead at 49-39 with just over seven minutes to play, but Hope International refused to go away, scoring 10 of the next twelve points to trail by only two at 51-49 with three and a half minutes left. Jared Maners responded by hitting his only three of the game to stretch the lead back to five points with three minutes left. The Oaks failed to score for the rest of the game, but their defense proved up to the challenge as they held the Royals to just four more points. Mitch Stahl had his second block of the game, knocking away a layup that would have given the Royals their first lead of the second half with just 11 seconds left. But Oakland City went on to win 54-53.
Eric Head was the team's leading scorer for the second straight game, putting up 15 points, 10 of which came in the first half. Jared Maners added 12 and Mitch Stahl came off the bench to score 10. Jeremiah Mitchell failed to score in the game, but grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Head had four steals and Stahl blocked two shots, both game-highs. Yancey Duckett scored eight points while joining Maners with three assists apiece to lead the team.
The Royals were led in scoring by Jeremy Kilgore's 23 point effort, followed by nine points off the bench from David Wedge. Orlando Collins scored six points while pulling down a team-high nine rebounds.
For the game, the Oaks shot just 38.6% from the field, going 22-57 on the day, but connected on 46.7% of their attempts from three-point range, making 7-15. They shot a mere six free throws, making three. The Royals made 45.5% from the floor, making 20-44, including 44.4% of their three-point efforts, making 4-9. They struggled mightily from the foul line, making just 40.9%, or 9-22.
The Oaks move on to face the #7 seed Southeastern University Fire on Saturday, March 19, in the fifth place game. Tipoff is set for 4:00 PM CST.
Mar. 17, 2011 - Oakland City's Upset of #1 Dallas Baptist Falls Just Short at NCCAA Division I National Tournament; Maners scores 1,000th Point as a Mighty Oak
The eighth seeded Mighty Oaks faced the top seeded Dallas Baptist University Patriots expected to lose by double-digits. The Oaks trailed by a mere two points at the half, with the score set at 35-33, and went on to fall just short, losing 79-73. Jared Maners entered the game with 996 points in an OCU uniform and scored 19 points, bringing his total to 1,015.
After blocking DBU's first two shots, the Oaks struck first on a three-point shot from Eric Head. The Patriots struck back with a 15-6 run to lead by six points. The teams traded baskets until the score stood at 20-14, the Patriots leading by six. Jared Maners scored six straight points, tying the score, and Randy Leintz stole the ball and rushed ahead for an easy layup to give OCU back the lead at 22-20 with just over six minutes to play. The teams traded baskets most of the rest of the first half. Eric Head's three-pointer with just under one minute on the clock gave OCU a two point advantage at 33-31. When Nick Fox made a layup to tie the score, Armie Lewis stole the inbounds pass and scored to give DBU a two point lead heading into halftime, the score reading 35-33 in favor of the Patriots.
Head opened the second half with a three, giving the lead back to the Oaks, but Dallas Baptist gained a three-point lead at 41-38. Hunter Elliott's three-pointer brought the score even, but DBU went on an 8-0 run after that. Their lead grew to as many as 15 points, held at 68-53 with just under seven minutes to play. Oakland City was able to score the next nine points to bring the deficit down to just six at 68-62. The Patriots built the lead back up to ten at 72-62, but OCU scored the next seven points, extending their run to 18-6. However, that was as close as the Oaks would come as Yancey Duckett's attempt to tie the game came up short and the favored Patriots took the win by just six points, 79-73.
Jared Maners scored his 1,000th point as a Mighty Oak on two free-throws with 9:47 to play in the first half en route to scoring 19 points on the night, including 11-12 free-throw shots while grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Eric Head scored a season-high 25 points, going 6-12 from beyond the three-point arc. Yancey Duckett scored seven despite playing just 21 minutes after getting into early foul trouble. Kendall Wittmer came off the bench to score six in the loss. Mitch Stahl blocked three shots while Duckett and Head each had two blocks of their own. Maners handed out five assists, a game-high.
The Patriots were led in scoring by Nick Fox's 23 points. Braxton Adamson added 15 points, followed by the double-double effort from Jordan McGowen, who put up 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Oaks shot 41.1% from the floor in the game, going 23-56. They connected on 48% of their three-point attempts, making 12-25. Dallas Baptist made 50.9% from the floor, going 27-53 for the game, including 40% from three, or 6-15. The Oaks hit 15-18 free-throw attempts, an average of 83.3%, while DBU hit 19-28, or 67.9% of their attempts. The Oaks were outscored 32-18 in the paint, 15-8 in points off turnovers and 10-2 in second chance points, but they led in fast break points 4-2 and in bench scoring 15-14.
The Oaks fall into the losers bracket, carrying a record of 18-12, and square off against #5 Hope International University from Fulerton, California, on Friday, March 18, in the Johnson Center at 3:00 PM CST.
Feb. 26, 2011 - The Mighty Oaks Seniors End the Regular Season By Beating St. Louis Christian
Oakland City hosted the St. Louis Christian College men's basketball team for Senior Day, winning the by score of 102-56. The Oaks hit the first 15 shots of the second half en route to a 62-31 point win in the second period.
Hunter Elliott led the way for the Mighty Oaks, notching a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Jared Maners fell only a couple stats shy of a triple-double, scoring 21 points, grabbing nine rebounds and handing out eight assists. Jeremiah Mitchell recorded a career-high in rebounds by pulling down 17 while scoring 13 for a double-double of his own. Eric Head scored 17 points and Billy Newton scored 10 off the bench as the only other Mighty Oaks to reach double figures. Yancey Duckett came off the bench to hand out seven assists and block four shots while recording six points, all in the second half.
The Soldiers were led in scoring by Donald Stribling's 21 points. Stribling notched a double-double of his own by pulling down 13 rebounds. Jordan Caulclasure scored 11 points off the bench and Japeth Bear put up 10 points.
For the game, the Mighty Oaks shot 54.4% (43-79), going 36.4% from beyond the three-point arc (4-11), and 63.2% from the free-throw line. The Saints went 30.7% (23-75) the field including 18-5% (5-27) from three-point range and just 31.3% from the free-throw line (5-16).
The Mighty Oaks enter the post-season with a record of 17-10 and will play next in the NCCAA Division-I Mid-East Regional tournament.
Feb. 19, 2011 - NCAA D-II #4 Alabama-Huntsville Proves too Much for the Mighty Oaks
The Mighty Oaks took a six game winning streak into Saturday's game against the #4 ranked team in the NCAA D-II Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville. After scoring the first basket of the game on Eric Head's three-pointed, the Oaks gave up the next 14 points before scoring again and never regained the lead, losing by the score of 88-60.
Eric Head scored a team-high 15 points, followed by Jared Maners, who put up 11 points. Yancey Duckett and Randy Leintz each posted nine points to the Mighty Oaks' score. Head was also the team's leading rebounder, grabbing six missed shots. Maners and Duckett each handed out three assists and Philip Schumacher stole the ball three times.
For the game, the Mighty Oaks shot just 34.6% from the field, 18-52, including 26.9% from three-point range, or 7-26. From the free-throw line, Oakland City shot 77.3%, going 17-22.
The Chargers were led by Tyler Hanback's 16 points, followed by Xavier Baldwin's 15 points, Jaime Smith, with 13, and Josh Magette, who scored 10 points. Elliott Jones grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Magette and Smith each handed out six assists to lead their team.
Oakland City dropped to 16-10 on the season. Their next game is scheduled for Saturday, February 26, in the Johnson Center against St. Louis Christian. As the final home game of the regular season, the seniors will be honored.
Feb. 12, 2011 - Oaks Prevail Despite Shooting Struggles and Avenge Early Loss to Logan
Two players from Logan University scored 20 plus points, but Oakland City held on to win 73-63 and avenge their loss from the third game of the season. OCU shot just 27-74 from the field, for 36.5%, including 7-24 from three-point range, or 29.2%. Logan shot 44.8% (26-58) and 37.5% from three-point range (6-16), but the Oaks were 12-14 from the free-throw line versus just 5-8 for Logan University.
In the first half, the lead changed hands 14 times and there were four ties as both teams struggled to gain a sizable advantage. Neither team led by more than seven points in the half, a lead held by Logan at 26-19 with 7:21 to play and again at 28-21 with 5:47 left on the clock. The Mighty Oaks ended the half on a 16-6 run to take a 37-34 lead into the locker room.
Oakland City continued their scoring run in the second half, putting up 10 points while Logan posted just two in the opening three minutes of the period. OCU slowly gained more of an advantage until they held a 19 point lead at 69-50 with five and a half minutes left. Logan finished the game on a 13-4 scoring run but ran out of time with the score ending in Oakland City's favor 73-63.
Jared Maners led the team in scoring yet again with 21 points, followed by Hunter Elliott's 11. Jeremiah Mitchell pulled down a team-high seven rebounds but scored only two points on 1-3 shooting. He had entered the game having not missed a field goal attempt in his previous three games, going 5-5, 3-3 and 2-2. Randy Leintz came off the bench to score eight points to go along with his team-high five assists. Phil Schumacher played 17 minutes and scored two points, grabbed five rebounds and had a career high five steals.
Logan was led by Matt Palm's 25 points, followed by Jordan Hawkins with 21 and Justin Baker, who scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while blocking four shots.
Oakland City improved to 16-9 on the year while winning their sixth straight game. Their next opponent is the University of Alabama-Huntsville who beat the Mighty Oaks 81-58 earlier this season. Gametime is set for Saturday, February 19, at 3:00 PM CST in the Johnson Center.
Feb. 9, 2011 - Mighty Oaks Hold Off Pesky Rams of Temple Baptist College
Jared Maners scored 30 points and handed out seven assists while stealing the ball three times, a By the Cup Player of the Game performance, as the Mighty Oaks held off the Rams of Temple Baptist College, beating them for the second time this season.
The first matchup ended with the Mighty Oaks winning 99-42. This time the game was much closer, with the Mighty Oaks leading by only four points with just over fifteen minutes left to play in the second half. Oakland City then went on a 32-10 run and pulled away for good, finishing with the final score reading 90-64.
Following Maners in scoring was Billy Newton, who put up 12 points, and Mitch Stahl, who added 11 points, both players coming off the bench. Stahl also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Yancey Duckett scored six points, rebounded the ball eight times and handed out five assists before fouling out.
Temple Baptist was led in scoring by Robbie Smythe's 18 points, followed by ten points each from Aric Watson and Paul Griffin. Steve Rimmer, who did not play in the last matchup, scored nine points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds while blocking four shots.
For the game, the Oaks shot 50% from the field, 33-66, but shot only 33% from three-point range, 7-21, and 65.4% from the free-throw line, 17-26. The Rams shot 49%, 25-51 from the field, including 27.3% from three, 3-11, and 55% from the line, 11-20. Oakland City outscored Temple Baptist 22-9 in second chance points and 35-13 in points off the bench, helping earn the Oaks their 15th win of the year.
The Mighty Oaks next face Logan University as they look to avenge an early-season loss. Gametime is set for 3:00 PM CST in the Johnson Center on Saturday, February 12.
Feb. 5, 2011 - Oakland City Beats Heritage Baptist Behind Duckett's Double-Double
Yancey Duckett fell three rebounds short of a triple-double as the Mighty Oaks cruised to an easy victory in the Johnson Center over the visiting Heritage Baptist College, 109-47.
Jared Maners was the leading scorer for the Oaks with 19 points in only 16 minutes of action. Duckett added 13 points to go along with his career-high 11 assists and team-high seven rebounds and four steals. Eric Head, back in the starting line-up after coming off the bench for a few games, scored 13 points and Jeremiah Mitchell scored 11 points on 3-3 shooting. Phil Schumacher scored 10 points off the bench as the Mighty Oaks took an easy victory and improved to 14-9 on the season.
Heritage Baptist was led in scoring by Michael Pierson's 14 points, followed by the double-double of Matt Harris, who notched 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Bryon Sutton scored 10 points in a losing effort as the Soldiers fell to 1-4 on the year.
The Mighty Oaks shot 9-15 from three-point range, 60%, helping them shoot 64.3% for the game. They also outrebounded Heritage Baptist 45-28. OCU outscored their opponent 22-0 on fast-break points, 32-0 in points off turnovers, 45-3 in bench scoring and 64-20 in the paint.
The Mighty Oaks next play Temple Baptist on Wednesday, February 9, in the Johnson Center at 7:00 PM CST.
Jan. 29, 2011 - Mighty Oaks Beat Mavericks for Second Time this Season
As homecoming was rapidly approaching, Coach Sandifar needed to find an opponent to fill the game vacated by Ohio State University-Marion, who decided to cut their program for the semester. Ohio State University-Mansfield stepped up to play in the homecoming game, despite losing in the Johnson Center earlier this season by the score of 124-59. This time, the Oaks proved to be too much for the Mavericks again, but the score was not as lopsided, finishing at 116-69.
Five Mighty Oaks scored in double figures, led by Jared Maners, who put up 22 points, followed by Randy Leintz, with 17 points off the bench. Jeremiah Mitchell, who shot 12-12 from the field in their last meeting, went a perfect 5-5 this time, scoring 15 points. Billy Newton added 11 and Kendall Wittmer scored 10 as every healthy Mighty Oak scored in the game. Phil Schumacher grabbed 12 rebounds, a game-high, while scoring six points in 12 minutes. Maners, Wittmer and Yancey Duckett each had five assists, while Leintz stole the ball five times. The Oaks committed only 10 fouls in the game as opposed to the 21 called on the Mavericks of Ohio State-Mansfield.
The Mavericks were led in scoring by Stephan Brown's 24, followed by Jamall Marsh, who added 11 points in a losing effort. Brown was also the team's leader in rebounds with five. Davyne Davis dished out seven assists in their loss.
Former OCU baseball standout Brad Wibbeler was recognized prior to the game as the 2011 inductee into the Oakland City University Athletic Hall of Fame.
The Mighty Oaks next game will be on February 5 in the Johnson Center in a rematch against Heritage Baptist College. The Oaks won their first meeting of the year 91-38. Gametime is set for 3:00 PM CST.
Jan. 22, 2011 - Six Score in Double Figures as OCU Men Cruise Past Temple Baptist
Oakland City University hosted the Rams of Temple Baptist College on Saturday, January 22, in the Johnson Center, winning by the score of 99-42. Last season, the Oaks beat the Rams twice, 103-80 on January 23, and 74-50 on February 27. This year, the task was easier, due to the fact that the Rams best player, Milen Kostov suffered a game-ending elbow injury in the first six minutes of the game, after having his layup blocked by Hunter Elliott. Kostov's absence allowed the Oaks to hold Temple Baptist to a mere 20 points in the first half, followed by only 22 in the second half on their way to the win.
Jared Maners scored a game-high 24 points in the win, including 19 in the first half. Eric Head added 15 points against his former teammates, followed by Hunter Elliott and Randy Leintz with 12 points each. Yancey Duckett and Philip Schumacher each scored 10 points, helping the Oaks to victory. Duckett was the team leader in assists with five, as well as steals with two. Schumacher grabbed a game-high eight rebounds while playing just 13 minutes, all in the first half.
For the game, the Oaks shot 39-70 from the field, including 8-17 from three-point range. The Oaks also hit 13-21 free-throws, including their last nine attempts. Temple Baptist shot only 17-56 from the field, including 4-17 from three-point range. The Rams went to the free-throw line 15 times, but hit only four of their attempts. As a team, the Might Oaks tied a season-high by pulling down 56 rebounds, compared to Temple Baptist's 26.
The Oaks' next game will be on January 26 when they travel to face the Eutectics of the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Gametime is set for 7:00 PM CST.
Jan. 15, 2011 - Mighty Oaks Upset Falls Just Short at the University of Missouri-St. Louis
The Mighty Oaks traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, to take on the Tritons of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, looking to improve on their 10-8 record. The Tritons came into the game with a record of 9-5, sitting atop their division in the conference. Oakland City led most of the first ten minutes of the game, but the size and speed of the Tritons proved too much for the Oaks to overcome, and UMSL won 65-51 in what Coach Sandifar called "the best officiated game we have played in Great Lakes Valley Conference."
Jared Maners and Billy Newton each scored 12 points to lead the Oaks. Maners shot 5-14 from the field, including 2-6 from three-point range, and Newton shot 2-5 from the floor, but was sent to the free-throw line 10 times, making eight. Kendall Wittmer and Phillip Schumacher, both coming off the bench, each scored nine points in the loss. Schumacher led the team in rebounding with eight boards. Hunter Elliott dished out a team-best three assists, while Jeremiah Mitchell stole the ball twice to lead the team in 25 minutes of play in which he did not attempt a field goal.
The Oaks were short on players as Yancey Duckett missed the game with a leg injury, and Mitch Stahl and Randy Leintz each were battling illness. Stahl managed to play 20 minutes, scoring just two points, and Leintz played just three minutes.
The Tritons were led in scoring by Justyn Watkins, who put 12 points on the scoreboard, followed by Eli Weigley and Jamarcus Williams, who each scored 10 points coming off the bench. Kevin Dwyer pulled down 11 rebounds in the game, his career best.
The Oaks' next opponent will be the Rams of Temple Baptist College, on January 22, in the Johnson Center. Game time is scheduled for 3:00 PM CST.
Jan. 12, 2011 - Coach Sandifar Earns 600th Career Victory as Oaks Improve to 10-8
Coach Mike Sandifar earned his 600th career victory as a coach, including high school and college records, as they Oaks cruised past the Saints of Central Christian College of the Bible on Wednesday night in the Johnson Center. The final score of 72-38 was the best defensive effort by the Oaks this season as they allowed only 19 points in each half.
Eric Head, returning to the starting lineup in place of the injured Billy Newton, led the way in scoring for the second consecutive game, notching 21 points on 7-12 shooting, including 5-8 from three-point range, while playing only 20 minutes. Yancey Duckett, making his second start in a row, was the only other Oaks player in double figures with 10 points. Jeremiah Mitchell and Phillip Schumacher each grabbed a team-high in rebounds with six each. Jared Maners scored just six points, a season low, but dished out five assists, a game-high. Duckett also stole the ball four times, the tenth time he has led the team in that category.
The Saints were led in scoring by Jonas Stillings, who totaled 13 points on 4-18 shooting, followed by Kris Holford, who scored 10 points and pulled down a game-high seven rebounds. For the game, the Saints shot just 15-46 from the field, for 32.6%, including a dismal 2-16 from three-point range, or 12.5%. Oakland City shot the ball only slightly better, going 27-72 from the field for 37.5%, including 9-30 from beyond the arc, or 30%. The Oaks were called for only seven fouls in the game, a season low. Oakland City also outrebounded their opponents 48-29, helping them earn their tenth win of the year.
The Oaks' next opponent will be the Tritons of the University of Missouri-St. Louis on Saturday, January 15, in St. Louis, Missouri. Game time for that matchup will be 3:00 PM CST.
Jan. 8, 2011 - Oaks Put Up a Fight, But Fall at #11 Alabama-Huntsville
The Oakland City University men's basketball team traveled to Huntsville, Alabama on Saturday, January 8, to face the eleventh ranked Chargers of the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Last year, the Chargers beat the Oaks 78-71 on January 2. This time, the Chargers, who took the University of Alabama Crimson Tide to double overtime in the preseason, were ranked #11 in the country and had most of last season's team back for this year's campaign. The Oaks put up a fight, but in the end were unable to keep pace, losing by the score of 81-58.
After trailing by as many as nine point early in the first half, the Mighty Oaks cut the lead to three on Mitch Stahl's jumper, with the score at 23-20 in favor of the Chargers. However, UAH finished the half on a 15-6 run to take a 12 point advantage into the locker room at 38-26.
The Chargers continued to build upon their lead in the second half, pulling ahead by as many as 22 points at 62-40. The Oaks went on a 10-4 run to cut the lead to 16 at 66-50, but the comeback fell short and the Chargers went on the win by 23 at 81-58.
Eric Head came off the bench to pace the visiting Oaks with 13 points on 4-6 shooting, including 3-5 from beyond the three-point arc. Yancey Duckett, starting for the first time five games, scored nine points, followed by Jared Maners and Kendall Wittmer, who each added eight points. Maners was also the team's leading rebounder, grabbing six missed shots. Alabama-Huntsville was led by Josh Magette's 17 points, followed by Tyler Hanback and Xavier Baldwin, who each scored 13, and Elliott Jones, who scored 12. Josh Yost and Baldwin each grabbed a game-high seven rebounds in their win.
OCU will next play Central Christian College of the Bible in the Johnson Center on January 12 at 8:00 PM CST.
Jan. 4, 2011 - Men's Basketball Continues to Roll with Resounding Win over Boyce
Oakland City's men's basketball team is coming together as their youth begins to fade and who were freshmen can hardly still be considered as such. The Mighty Oaks took on the Bulldogs of Boyce College, from Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday in the Johnson Center, cruising to an easy victory at 85-40 and improving to 9-7 on the year.
Jared Maners was again the Oaks' leading scorer, tallying 20 points in only 21 minutes of action. Billy Newton and Kendall Wittmer each scored 10 as every player who hit the floor scored a point for the Oaks, except for Yancey Duckett, who, with Hunter Elliott, dished out a game-leading five assists while playing just 13 minutes. Ike Worrell, playing for the first time, started the game in his first action as a collegiate player, scored two points, grabbed two rebounds, notching two steals, handing out one assist and blocking a team-high, along with Eric Head, two shots in 16 minutes. Jeremiah Mitchell got out of his rebounding funk to grab 13, even though he scored only eight points in 29 minutes of action.
For the game, the Oaks shot over 50% for the third straight contest, all wins, this time going a solid 53.7% from the floor on 36-67 shooting, including 8-22 from three-point range. There were only 12 total fouls called in the game, of which only five were called on the Bulldogs, resulting in only seven free-throw attempts, and the Oaks made five of them count.
Boyce was led in scoring by Matt Powell with 13 points, followed by Jordan Doenges with eight. Tim Arndt, Blake Rogers and Kory Luebke each grabbed five rebounds to lead their team. Powell also led the team in assists with four, while Luebke blocked a game-high three shots. The Oaks held Boyce to just 16-51 shooting, 31.4%, including 4-19 from three-point range. The Bulldogs turned the ball over 22 times verses only 12 such errors by the Mighty Oaks, who improved to 9-7 with their win.
The Mighty Oaks next contest will be in Hunstville, Alabama, on January 8 when they take on the #4 ranked Chargers of the University of Alabama-Huntsville at 5:15 PM. The Oaks then return home to take on Central Christian College of the Bible on January 12 at 8:00 PM CST.
Dec. 31, 2010 - Mighty Oaks Need Overtime, Two Thirty Point Scorers, to Beat Riverhawks
The Mighty Oaks hosted the Riverhawks of West Virginia University-Parkersburg for the second straight day. OCU won the first game 103-65, but WV-Parkersburg played more under control and shot much better to give the Oaks a scare, forcing overtime, but the Mighty Oaks prevailed 96-88.
After taking a 40-34 lead into halftime, the Mighty Oaks jumped out to a double-digit lead early in the second half. The Riverhawks slowly chipped into the lead, even taking the lead by one point with only a few minutes remaining on the clock. The two teams traded baskets until the score was tied up at 79-79 with 26 seconds to go and Oakland City having the ball. Coach Sandifar called time-out with 16 seconds left to try and win the game. Jared Maners took a jumper in the lane with just over a second on the clock, but it hit off the rim and into a Riverhawk player's hands as time expired, sending the game to overtime.
In overtime, the Mighty Oaks shot 4-4 from the field and 8-10 from the free-throw line and held off the Riverhawks to take a 96-88 victory and improve to 8-7 on the year. Jared Maners was the game's leading scorer with 33 points, followed by Mitch Stahl's 32. Randy Leintz came off the bench to add 13 points and Yancey Duckett scored eight. Jeremiah Mitchell, double-teamed for much of the night, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds while scoring just four points. Maners tallied a double-double by dishing out 11 assists, while Leintz and Duckett each had four steals. The Riverhawks had all five starters score in double figures, led by Alex Tracewell's 24 points on 8-13 shooting including 7-11 from three-point range. Keith Penn scored 20, followed by Rodney Shaver's 15 and Camaron Lancaster and Brandon Roe, who each scored 10 points in a losing effort. Peen grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and Tracewell had two steals.
For the game, the Mighty Oaks shot 37-67 from the field, a 55.2% average, and 18-23 from the line for 78.3%. The Riverhawks connected on 33-61 shots, or 54.1%, including 9-18 from three-point range for 50%, and 13-18 from the line for 72.2%.
Oakland City's next game will be on Tuesday, January 4, as they host Boyce College in the Johnson Center at 7:00 PM CST.
Dec. 30, 2010 - OCU Men Improve to 7-7 on the Year by Beating WV-Parkersburg
After more than a week of rest for Christmas break, the Mighty Oaks hosted the Riverhawks of West Virginia University-Parkersburg, winning by the score of 103-65.
The Oaks scored 39 points off turnovers and 20 points of fastbreak opportunities compared to the Riverhawks 16 and nine points respectively in what proved to be a relatively easy win for OCU. The Oaks' bench outscored the Riverhawks' 43-6 and the Oaks improved to 7-7 on the season.
Jared Maners scored 18 points to pace the Oaks, followed by Hunter Elliott's 16, all in the first half, Mitch Stahl's 15 and Randy Leintz, who added 11. Jeremiah Mitchell and Yancey Duckett each grabbed five rebounds to lead the Oaks. Duckett also dished out seven assists, trailing only Maner's total of nine for the game, while stealing the ball eight times. Duckett's steal total for the game tied that of Mervyn Clarke (11/27/07 vs. Ozark Christian) for the second highest total in a single game, trailing only Josh Maggard's 11 steal night against Central Christian College of the Bible on January 13 of last season.
The Riverhawks were led in scoring by Keith Penn, who tallied 23 points while also grabbing 17 rebounds, both game-highs. Rodney Shaver added 16 points while Camaron Lancaster scored seven to go with his 10 points and a game-high nine blocked shots. Alex Tracewell stole the ball five times while scoring nine points in a losing effort.
Oakland City will again face the Riverhawks in the Johnson center in the second game of their double-header on Friday, December 31, at 3:00 PM CST.
Dec. 19, 2010 - Oaks Lose in Heartbreaker to Ohio University-Chillicothe
The Mighty Oaks played host to the Hilltoppers of Ohio University-Chillicothe on Sunday afternoon in the Johnson Center, falling 63-62 after leading all but 28 seconds in the first half.
After taking a 31-26 halftime advantage, Jared Maners scored the first bucket of the second half to give the Oaks a seven point advantage. After each team scored again, the Oaks led at 35-28. The Hilltoppers then went on 14-2 run to take a 42-37 lead. The Oaks responded with a 12-2 run to take the lead at 49-44. The teams traded baskets until the game was locked up at 61-61 with just over one minute to play. Oakland City's Yancey Duckett missed a three-point shot with 34 seconds on the clock, which was rebounded by OU-Chillicothe's Clay Roll. After a timeout, the Hilltoppers came down the floor and Roll made an off-balanced shot while being fouled by Duckett with only eight seconds to play. After Duckett rebounded his missed shot, the Oaks took a timeout to set up a play. Chillicothe's John Danicki fouled Jared Maners with less than one second remaining and the Oaks down by two. Maners made the first of his two free-throws, but was off target on the second, and the Oaks fell to the Hilltoppers 63-62.
OCU was led in scoring by Jared Maners, who put up 16 points, followed by Billy Newton and Mitch Stahl, who scored 12 each, and Jeremiah Mitchell, who added 11. The leading rebounder for the Oaks was Newton, who pulled down 8 boards. Maners dished out five assists, while Yancey Duckett stole the ball three times and blocked two shots. The Hilltoppers were led in scoring by Josh Kellough's 19, followed by Anthony Gilbert's 18 and Clay Roll's 14 points. John Danicki grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked three shots to lead OU-Chillicothe in those categories. For the game, the Oaks had only four turnovers, verses 12 by the Hilltoppers. The Mighty Oaks were outrebounded 42-31, which proved to be the difference in the ball game. Duckett was also the only OCU player to connect from the three-point line, shooting 2-6 while the rest of the team went 0-4 from beyond the arc. Neither team shot well from the free-throw line, OCU going 6-11 and OUC connecting on only 5-11.
Up next for the Oaks is a two game series against West Virginia-Parkersburg on December 30-31 in the Johnson Center. The games are set to tip off at 7:00 PM and 3:00 PM CST.
Dec. 18, 2010 - Mighty Oaks Pull Even on the Year with Lopsided Win Over Heritage Baptist
Oakland City hosted Heritage Baptist College in the Johnson Center on Saturday afternoon, beating the Eagles easily 91-38. It was HBC's first game of the year, while OCU improved to 6-6 on the year with their victory.
Each of the Mighty Oaks put points on the board, led by Jeremiah Mitchell, who scored a game-high 14 points to lead the Oaks to victory. Hunter Elliott added 11 and Kendall Wittmer and Alfredo Aquino each scored 10. Aquino also grabbed eight rebounds, tallying a career high in both categories. Billy Newton scored eight while pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds. Jared Maners dished out seven assists, while Yancey Duckett stole the ball three times while joining Mitch Stahl for a game-high two blocked shots. The Oaks shot 53.8% from the field despite shooting only 21.1% from the three-point line.
Heritage Baptist was led by Matt Harris, who tallying a double-double by scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 boards. Justin Surface added eight points and seven rebounds to a losing effort.
The Oaks next square off against Ohio University-Chillicothe on Sunday, December 19, at 3:00 PM in the Johnson Center.
Dec. 16, 2010 - OCU Improves to 5-6 with Impressive Victory Over St. Louis Christian
Freshman Yancey Duckett took the opening tipoff in for a layup only three seconds into the game as the Oaks too a wire to wire lead all the way through the game, beating St. Louis Christian College in Florissant, Missouri, on Thursday night, 85-52.
Hunter Elliott hit his first three shots from beyond the three point arc, all coming in the first four minutes of the game before he left after nine minutes with a thigh injury, as the Oaks connected on five of their first six field goal attempts en route to a comfortable lead in the first half, pushing it to as much as 18. The Soldiers cut the lead to 10 at 36-26, but Oakland City scored the final six points of the half, thanks to back to back threes by Mitch Stahl and Jared Maners, to give the Oaks a 16 point halftime advantage.
OCU continued to dominate in the second half, keeping SLCC at least 20 points from their total nearly the entire period. The Oaks kept increasing their lead, even after Coach Sandifar replaced much of his starting lineup, pushing it to as many as 36 points, held at 85-49 with twenty-eight seconds left. SLCC’s Jordan Caulclasure hit a three with 17 seconds left as the game ended with the Oaks on top 85-52.
Senior Jared Maners led the Oaks in scoring with 24 points, followed by freshman Kendall Wittmer’s 11. Seniors Jeremiah Mitchell and Hunter Elliott, along with freshman Yancey Duckett, each added 9. Mitchell also pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds while tying with Duckett and Maners for a team-high 3 steals. Mitchell, Maners, Duckett and freshman Mitch Stahl each had three assists helping the Oaks improve to 5-6 on the year while the Soldiers dropped to 0-14. St. Louis Christian College was led by Cory McCormick, who totaled 26 points, 15 rebounds and two blocked shots in their loss.
Oakland City will look to get to an even record for the first time this season as the take on Heritage Baptist College in the Johnson Center on Saturday, December 18, at 3:00 PM CST.
Dec. 11, 2010 - Mighty Oaks Improve to 4-5 by Beating Cougars of OU-Lancaster
The Mighty Oaks fed off strong rebounding and aggressive defense to beat the Ohio University-Lancaster Cougars 81-56 on Saturday afternoon in the Johnson Center.
Much like the women's game, and contrary to their trend so far this season, the Mighty Oaks jumped out on the Cougars early, scoring the first eight points of the game on their way to building a 13-2 advantage in the first six minutes of the game. Their lead continued to increase, thanks to hot shooting by the Oaks, until OCU led by 16 at 22-6 with eleven minutes left in the half. The Cougars responded with a 14-5 run to cut the lead to single digits at 27-20 with four and a half minutes on the clock. Brandon Amann's jumper with one minute remaining brought the Cougars within five, but Billy Newton made two free throws to close out the half with the Oaks leading by seven at 35-28.
After OCU's Yancey Duckett and Newton each scored to open the second half, the Oaks gained control for the remainder of the contest, continuing to build on their lead. As a team, the Oaks shot a blistering 60% from the floor in the second half while going 3-6 from three-point ranger and 13-18 from the free throw line.
Jared Maners led the Oaks in their victory, tallying a game-high 25 points. Hunter Elliott scored 13 and Billy Newton added 11 as the Oaks proved too much for the Cougars. Jeremiah Mitchell put only nine points on the board, but came away with a game-high 13 rebounds for the sixth straight game. Newton blocked two shots and Maners and freshman Yancey Duckett each had three steals, all game-highs. OU-Lancaster was led by Brandon Amann, who scored 17 points and grabbed 9 boards. Zac Cordle added 10 points to a losing effort.
Oakland City improved to 4-5 on the year and will travel to Indiana State University on Sunday to face the Sycamores at 2:30 PM CST.
Dec. 4, 2010 - Oaks Get Win Despite Continued Struggles from the Line
Oakland City University hosted the Preachers of Concordia Seminary on Saturday afternoon in the Johnson Center, winning 74-42. Jeremiah Mitchell led the team in both scoring and rebounding for the second straight game in the Oaks' third win of the season.
The Preachers jumped out to an early eight point lead in the first ten minutes of the game at 17-9. The Oaks responded by slowly chipping away the lead until the score was tied at 23-23, and proceeded to finish the first half on a 10-2 run to take an eight point lead into the locker room with the score standing at 33-25.
In the second half, the Might Oaks stepped up their defense, allowing Concordia to make only five field goals on their way to one of their best halves of the season, giving up 17 points while scoring 41 of their own. After going a dismal 8-17 from the free-throw line in the first half, the Oaks followed that up by shooting an even worse 3-7 in the second half for a total of 45.8% on the game, the worst of the year so far. This, after the Oaks had turned around from their early-season woes to shoot no less than 70.6% during their last four games.
Jeremiah Mitchell scored a team-high 15 points while pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds to lead the Oaks, followed by Jared Maners and Billy Newton, who each scored 12. Maners dished out a game-high seven assists, while Newton blocked two shots and stole the ball three times, both game-highs. Kendall Wittmer and Yancey Duckett, making his first collegiate start, scored eight points each. The Oaks had only seven turnovers, less than their 11 steals and more less than half as many as their 18 assists. Concordia was led by Joshua Keinath's 17 points, Jason Swan's eight rebounds and Wil Stelzer's five assists.
The Oaks are back in action on Saturday, December 11, in the Johnson Center when they square off against Ohio University-Lancaster at 3:00 PM.
Dec. 2, 2010 - Free Throws and Mitchell's 29 points, 16 Boards Help Oaks Get 2nd Win
The Mighty Oaks faced Principia College exactly one year to the day after beating the Panthers in their first ever meeting 75-58. This year, the Oaks were able to pull out the victory, but the margin was much smaller, winning by the scored of 77-70.
The Principia College Panthers jumped out to an early ten-point lead at 16-6 with fourteen minutes on the clock, after the Oaks missed five layups and their first three free throws. But that would not hold true for long as OCU rallied with a 12-3 run to cut the deficit to one point at 19-18 with nine minutes remaining. The Mighty Oaks continued to outscore the Panthers until they held a six point lead at 29-23. Neither team scored in the last 1:51 of the first half, and the Oaks took a five point advantage into the locker room at 35-30.
In the second half, the two teams traded baskets until the Oaks had the lead at 45-38 after five minutes of play. Then a three-point basket by Hunter Elliott and a layup by Jeremiah Mitchell gave Oakland City their largest lead of the game at 50-38. The Panthers responded by going on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to a mere two points and eventually tying the game up at 56-56 with just over eight minutes left to play. OCU built the lead back up to eight points on a tip-in by Billy Newton with two minutes to play at 71-63, but the Panthers' Todd Zimmerman scored seven straight Principia points, cutting the lead to just three at 73-70. Senior Jeremiah Mitchell made six free throws in the final thirty-eight seconds of the game to keep the victory in the hands of the Mighty Oaks, who went on to win by the scored of 77-70.
Mitchell led the way for the Oaks, tallying a double-double in the first half on his way to putting up game-highs in points, with 29, and rebounds, with 16. Mitchell shot 10-14 from the field and, after missing his first free-throw, connected on his last nine. Jared Maners scored 21 for the Oaks while posting a game-high four steals and a team-high five assists. Hunter Elliott scored 13 points and Randy Leintz, seeing his first action in a Mighty Oak uniform, put up eight points. For the game, Oakland City shot 46.9% from the field, including 31.6% from three-point range. Free-throws, which plagued their first three games, brought the Oaks their second victory of the season, thanks to hitting their final 11 in a row to finish at 78.6% for the game at 11-14.
Principia was led in scoring by Todd Zimmerman's 22 points, followed by Colin Angle, who scored 15, and Justin MacDonald, who added 12. Zimmerman also dished out a game-high eight assists while Stanley Beal grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
The Oaks return to action Saturday, December 4, in the Johnson Center, as they take on Concordia (Missouri) Seminary. The game is set to tip at 3:15 PM. Hot dogs and drinks will be provided for every fan, courtesy of Oakland City's Homer McIntosh.
Nov. 20, 2010 - Mitchell Sets School Record in Victory Number One Against OSU-Mansfield
Oakland City University's men's basketball team took on Ohio State University-Mansfield in the Johnson Center on Saturday, looking for their first win of the season after two heart-breaking losses, first to OSU-Lima in double overtime and second against Logan University by a mere seven points. Last season, the Oaks beat the Mavericks of OSU-Mansfield 124-66, their highest point total from a year ago. This year proved to be no different as OCU coasted to a resounding 124-59 win.
The Oaks jumped out to an early lead and never trailed from start to finish. The only tie came at 2-2 with only 25 seconds coming off the clock. Oakland City scored 26 points before the Mavericks reached double figures, putting the game out of reach early. They led by as many as 36 points in the first half, but took a 33 point advantage into the locker room at 58-25. Kendall Wittmer and Jeremiah Mitchell led they way for the Oaks in scoring with 12 points each at the half.
In the second half, Oakland City continued to increase their lead, with their largest of the game standing at 65 points, both at 122-57 and again at the final score of 124-59. OCU improved to 1-3 on the year heading into their Thanksgiving trip to Laie, Hawaii, to face BYU-Hawaii, a team they have yet to beat.
Jeremiah Mitchell scored a game-high 27 points en route to tying the school record for field goal percentage by connecting on each of his twelve attempts, all in only 26 minutes of action. Mitchell also pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Also scoring in double figures for the Oaks were Jared Maners (20), Kendall Wittmer (18), Billy Newton (16), Eric Head (15) and Yancey Duckett (11). Elliott and Duckett each had game-highs in assists with eight apiece, while Duckett notched a high in steals with five. The Mavericks were led in scoring by Curtis Remy, who put home 14 points, followed by Jamall Marsh, who scored 13.
The Mighty Oaks will face BYU-Hawaii November 26 and 27 in Laie, HI, before returning home December 2 to face Principia at 7:00 PM in the Johnson Center.
Nov. 15, 2010 - Mighty Oaks Lost Home Opener to Ohio State University-Lima
The Oakland City University men's basketball team faced the Barons of Ohio State University-Lima, falling in a thrilling double-overtime game 68-67. The Oaks were led in scoring Eric Head, with eighteen points on 6-14 shooting including 3-11 from three point range and 3-4 from the free throw line.
The Oaks fell behind early, trailing by as many as five points at 13-8 before going on an eight point run to take the lead at 16-13. Oakland City held the lead the rest of the first half, however, never by more than five points, and took a four point lead into the locker room at 33-29. Freshmen Billy Newton and Kendall Wittmer led the Oaks at halftime with eight and seven points respectively. The Barons were led in the first half by Lemar Pughsley, who put up thirteen points.
The Barons scored the first four points of the second half to tie the game at 33-33 as part of an 11-3 run that gave OSU-L their largest lead of the game at 41-36. Oakland City responded with a 16-4 run of their own, taking their largest lead of the game at 52-45. With less than three minutes remaining in regulation, the Oaks led by seven at 60-53. The Barons scored the last seven points of the period to send the game into overtime with the scored all square at sixty points apiece.
Jared Maners hit a jumper from the left side to open the first overtime period, giving the Oaks a two point advantage. One minute later, Billy Newton's basket gave the Oaks a four point lead with three and a half minutes to play. OSU-L's Marlon Hutchins hit a jumper with just under a minute remaining on the clock. After Maners missed the front-end of a one and one free throw opportunity, the Barons took the ball the length of the floor looking to tie the game. Marlon Hutchins took a jumper in the lane and was fouled by Eric Head with one second left on the clock. He calmly stepped up and hit both free throws to send the game into a second overtime period.
Hunter Elliott scored the first point of overtime number two by hitting one of two free throws. Marlon Hutchins responded by hitting two free throws of his own to give the Barons their first lead in the extra periods. Jared Maners hit a jumper with two minutes on the clock to give the Oaks a one point advantage, but Lemar Pughsley scored with just over one minute remaining to give the Barons what they needed to win. Jeremiah Mitchell had a chance to win the game for the home team with four seconds left, but his shot from the paint was blocked by Hutchins, and the game ended with OSU-L prevailing 68-67.
In their next game, the Oaks travel to Logan University on Thursday, November 18, at 7:00 PM.
Nov. 13, 2010 - MIghty Oaks Open Season With Loss at University of Evansville
Oakland City kicked off the 2010-11 men's basketball season facing the NCAA D-I University of Evansville Purple Aces at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Indiana, on Saturday. Senior forward Jeremiah Mitchell had a solid game, posting team-highs in points, rebounds and steals, but the Aces proved too much and the Oaks fell 82-42.
The Aces scored the first eight points of the game as the Oaks tried to find a rhythm to their offense. Oakland City, playing their first game of the season, returned only one starter from last year's team that finished 20-9 while Evansville brought back four of their top five players from their 2009-10 team, which finished 9-21. UE took their largest lead of the first half into the locker room, with the score 47-15. It was the lowest scoring half for the Oaks in over a decade.
The Mighty Oaks managed to score twelve points more in the second half than they did in the first half, while limiting the Aces to twelve fewer points. However, the University of Evansville proved too great a foe for the Oaks, the final score standing at 82-42.
Kenneth Harris, the lone new starter for the Aces, led all scorers with 21 points, thanks to 7-8 shooting from the field and 6-8 from the free throw line. Also scoring in double figures for the Aces were Jordan Jahr and Ned Cox, each with 11 points. The Oaks were led by Jeremiah Mitchell's 13 points, followed by Mitch Stahl, who scored 10. Mitchell also had a game-high in rebounds, with six. Evansville's Kavon Lacey dished out a game-high 11 assists while being held without a point. OCU's Mitch Stahl and UE's Pieter van Tongeren shared a game-high in blocks with two apiece.
Oakland City returns to action on Monday, November 15, when they host the Ohio State University-Lima Barons in the Johnson Center. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 PM CST.
May 20, 2010 - Men's Basketball to Host Summer Camp
Team camp June 27-July 1; Individual Camp July 11-15