OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN MEN ARE 19-2; EAGLES AND LADY EAGLES HOME SATURDAY
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Ethan Williams (1) moves the ball during an earlier season game. The Eagles are 19-2 and are back at home Saturday at 3 p.m.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
Jan. 31, 2026
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
What’s that noise?
It’s the sound of the Eagles’ peal growing to a lion’s roar.
Eagles as in the species OKWU-raptor-dacytl.
The Eagles — a.k.a. the Oklahoma Wesleyan University men’s basketball team — have devoured their last nine opponents in a row.
Well, perhaps not devoured — but defeated, nonetheless.
Their latest two conquests were crucibles of character — 78-76 against Tabor (Kan.) and 76-71 against Avila (Mo.).
The Donnie Bostwick-led Eagles are screeching through the mesosphere of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, propelled by the headwind of a 14-1 conference record (and 19-2 overall).
With one more victory, Bostwick will record his 19th-straight 20-win season.
Meanwhile, the OKWU Lady Eagles (8-13, 3-12) split their games this week, knocking off Tabor, 59-56, to split the season series, and falling to Avila, 80-56.
OKWU will be back home Saturday to host Bethany (Kan.) at 1 p.m. (women) and 3 p.m. (men). After that, the Eagles and Lady Eagles won’t be back home until Valentine’s Day.
Following are summaries of their most recent games.
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Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Tamaje Izuagbe (11) takes a shot during an earlier season game. The Eagles are 19-2 and are back at home Saturday at 3 p.m.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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MEN: OKWU 78, Tabor (Kan.) 76
Whew!
Trailing by three points with less than 2:50 remaining, the Eagles caught a gust of momentum that powered them to victory.
The gust was named Yashi McKenzie.
McKenzie bucketed two layups within 21-second stretch to push the Eagles to a 74-71 lead.
And, with eight seconds left, McKenzie assisted Humberto Kentish Jr. on a dunk for the winning bucket.
Kentish had also hit two critical free throws with 34 seconds left.
Rounding out OKWU’s heroes in the final 2:50 were Jaden Wilson with a jumper (off Blake Hamblin’s assist) and a blocked shot by Ethan Williams.
Tamaje Izuagbe dialed in 18 points to top the Eagle scorers, followed by Angel Hidalgos with 12, Malachi Okunbor with 10 and McKenzie with eight.
Hamblin pulled down six rebounds, followed by Izuagbe and Kentish with five apiece. Williams handed out five assists. Izuagbe and Williams both made thee steals.
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MEN: OKWU 76, Avila (Mo.) 71
McKenzie knocked down 9-of-10 free throws on his way to 17 points to pace the Eagle offense.
Williams and Wilson added 12 and 11 points, respectively, followed by Kentish with nine.
Hamblin captured seven caroms, while Kentish and Izuagbe fingered five apiece. Williams dished out five assists and Kentish racked up six steals.
With less than three minutes left, Avila owned the lead, 69-67. OKWU finished up with a fiery 7-2 run, sparked by layups by Williams on back-to-back possessions.
McKenzie drilled three five free throws in the final 31 seconds to secure the win.
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Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Ashlyn Baker (35) goes to the basket during an earlier season game. The Lady Eagles won two in a row and are back home Saturday at 1 p.m.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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WOMEN: OKWU 59, Tabor (Kan.) 56
This was a nerve-strained gripper all the way. OKWU led at halftime, 26-24, and 39-37 following three quarters.
The Lady Eagles clung to the lead in crunch time.
With 1:30 left, OKWU’s Khassidy Warr knocked down a free throw to make in a five-point advantage, 55-50.
After Tabor got back within three, 55-52, Taliyah Harris hammered in two free throws to extend the gap back to five, 57-52, with 31 seconds left.
But once again Tabor cut it to a single possession, 57-54, with 23 ticks showing.
Harris showed up big again at the charity stripe with two more one-pointers to make it a five-point bulge, 59-54. Tabor scored a layup with eight seconds left and stole the ball back with six seconds left but missed two three-pointers.
Sophia Regalado and Warr netted 15 and 13 points, respectively, followed by Harris with 11 and Gracie Alexander with nine. Regalado scorched the nets on 7-of-8 shooting from the field.
OKWU — which is coached by Heidi Messer — hit a sizzling 10-of-13 from the free throw stripe and shot better than 50 percent from the field (23-of-42).
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WOMEN: Avila 80, OWKU 56
Avila took control in the second half, outscoring OKWU, 44-23.
Warr and Khamille Warr poured in 12 points each to lead OKWU, followed by Kamryn Phoenix and Regalado with eight apiece. Harris and Alexander added six each.
Once again the Lady Eagles shone on the free throw line (9-of-11). They also sparkled from long distance (9-of-21) but scored only 20 points inside the arc.
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DONNIE BOSTWICK’S LONGEST WINNING STREAKS AT OKWU
If they were to beat Bethany, on Saturday, the Eagles would stretch their win streak to 10 straight. Here’s a list of Donnie Bostwick’s 10-or-more win streaks during his 10 seasons as OKWU head coach
39 — 2008-09—2009-10
18 — 2023-2024
17— 2018-2019
16 — 2022-2023
16 — 2021-2022
14 — 2024-2025
14 — 2010-11
12 — 2021-2022