In a back-and-forth battle between two of the top teams in the KCAC, the OKWU Eagles escaped with a slim victory to remain unbeaten on the season. A last-second shot from Derrick Talton Jr. gave the Eagles the win, 75-73.

Recap:

• Both teams came out hot in the first half, with OKWU shooting 50% from the field and Bethel shooting 48%. OKWU led at the intermission, 39-38.
• In the second half, Bethel started to pull away. An 8-0 run with about 11 minutes left in the game gave Bethel a 61-53 lead. Kaleb Stokes broke the scoreless streak with a 3-point make, cutting the Thresher lead to 5.
• A minute later, another Stokes 3 cut into the Bethel lead, 63-61. OKWU would tied it up when Dylan Phillip sank two free throws on the next OKWU possession.
• A Brandon Bird layup with 7:18 left in the game gave OKWU a 2-point lead; they would not trail for the remainder of the game, although Bethel would tie it several times.
• With 2:23 to go, Bethel's Jaylon Scott sank two free throws to tie the game at 69.
• With 22 seconds in the game, Lense Ramey hit a jumper to push the Eagles ahead, 73-71. Bethel responded the next time down with a Clifford Byrd II layup.
• As the final seconds ticked away, Derrick Talton Jr. hit a jumper in the lane to give OKWU the 75-73 win just before the buzzer sounded.

Now the Numbers:

• OKWU held a slight rebound advantage, 36-32.
• The Threshers shot 54.2% from beyond the arc, compared to 31.8% for the Eagles.
• OKWU dominated in the paint, outscoring the Threshers 42-24 for the game.
• Four Eagles scored in double-figures: Brandon Bird (13), Derrick Talton Jr. (11), Lense Ramey (11), and Kaleb Stokes (11).

Up Next:

• OKWU is set to host Friends as KCAC play continues on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.