OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Despite leading 44-38 at the half, Texas Wesleyan Men's Basketball (12-14, 7-11 SAC) couldn't squeeze out a win against Oklahoma City University (17-7, 12-6 SAC) Saturday night, falling 82-73.

Headlining the game was once again Peyton Sallee, who finished off his incredible week with 23 points, seven rebounds and four steals - hitting 7-of-11 three-pointers. In three games between February 3-9, Sallee scored 82 points - launching 22-of-35 three-pointers successfully.

The hot streak has Sallee all the way up to No. 22 in the country shooting threes (46.1 percent). He wasn't in the top 50 before the week began. Sallee also leads the team in steals, averaging 1.26 per game after his career high four takeaways against OCU.

Sam Lorenzen scored 14 and hit three from long-range; Joe Cook-Green added 13 points, three rebounds and two assists and Rob Thomas contributed 12 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals. 

Dare Brazeal led all rebounders in the contest with nine with two blocks. The Rams hit 13-of-28 from beyond the ark, now 16th in the NAIA in three-point shooting (38.2 percent). It's the fourth-straight outing with at least 10 shots from deep through the net, their longest such streak since hitting double-digit deep shots in six-straight outings during the 2013-2014 campaign.

Texas Wesleyan built its largest lead to 12 with 3:44 to go before halftime on a Sallee three and held a commanding lead for the early stages of the second half. At the 14-minute mark, the Stars made their push. Oklahoma City scored the next 11 points over four minutes to take a one-point lead, then compounded that stretch with an 11-3 run over the next 4:25 to stretch the score to 70-61.

HOW THEY GET IN
The Rams are currently are in the No. 10 spot in the Sooner Athletic Conference. With four games to go, the Rams are two games back of Southwest Assemblies of God and Mid-America Christian for the right to get into the tournament. 

SAGU is harder to catch, since the Lions won both meetings, but the Rams swept MACU with their 82-76 victory in Oklahoma January 31. Mid-American Christian still has No. 21 and Oklahoma City left on its schedule, opening the door for a potential free-fall that the Rams can take advantage of.

Anything can happen in tournament season. Texas Wesleyan needs victories against No. 12 Langston and No. 10 Wayland Baptist (home game) to have a shot.

WHAT'S NEXT
Load the buses again - Men's Basketball heads to Langston, Oklahoma and McPherson, Kansas Thursday and Saturday, respectively, with 8 and 3  p.m. tip-offs. 

The final two games of conference regular season action are at the Sid Richardson Center Thursday February 21 and Saturday February 23 against No. 10 Wayland Baptist and Oklahoma Panhandle State (Senior Day).