There is a line in the movie "The Hunt For Red October" where Courtney B. Vance says "This is going to be close!"
 
That is exactly what the game on Saturday, January 20th, between Arizona Christian and OUAZ was: Close!
 
OUAZ (14-5, 3-2 GSAC) came out with the 84-81 win over the Firestorm (14-5, 3-2 GSAC) to close out the first half of the conference slate.  It is the fourth straight victory for the Spirit.
 
All seven Spirit players recorded at least seven points and two rebounds in a very balanced attack.
 
Elijah Simmons had a team-high 16 points and four rebounds.  McKay Bundy notched 15 points and six rebounds.  Jacob Henry scored 14 points and dished out ten assists.  A feat that he has done three times this season. He had only dished out ten assists in his two previous colleges once.
 
OUAZ had built an 11-point lead at the 15:00 mark of the first half, leading 19-8.  By the time the first half was at the 10-minute mark, the lead had swollen to a 17-point lead at 31-14, ultimately growing to a 22-point lead at 40-18 with 7:20 to go.  That is when the ACU rally would begin, as they would close that lead down to seven at halftime, 49-42.
 
The lead would stay right about that eight to ten-point range until a pair of layups and a couple of free throws by Elijah Simmons and McKay Bundy would grow the lead to 13 points around the 11-minute mark.  ACU would close it up to tie it up at 72-all with about seven and a half minutes to go in the game.
 
A layup by Lorenzo Wright would give ACU their first lead of the game at the seven-minute mark.  Bryce Fitzgerald fired right back with a three-pointer to give the lead back to OUAZ.
 
A four-minute scoreless drought by both teams would keep the score there until the last fury of action.  A layup and one would give ACU the two-point lead with two minutes to go.  Again, Fitzgerald would hit another three to give the lead back to OUAZ with two minutes flat to go.
 
An ACU layup gave them their final lead of the game with 90 seconds to go.  Alex Villi said "nah" and hit a three to put the Spirit back up two.  With 20 seconds left, Jayce Catchings hit one of two free throws to give OUAZ a three-point lead.  An ACU layup would cut it to one with ten seconds to play.  When the ball was returned to play after an ACU timeout, Fitzgerald was fouled and calmly hit both free throws to clinch the win.
 
Both OUAZ and ACU will head to Southern California next weekend to play at Hope International and Vanguard as they are travel partners in the GSAC.