GOODWELL, Okla. — The Oklahoma Panhandle State men's basketball team (1-8, 0-5 SAC) hung with No. 18 Nelson (8-2, 4-1) through much of the game and made things interesting late in a 93-86 loss Saturday afternoon inside Anchor D Arena.
 
Christian Campbell tied his season high of 32 points in the contest, knocking down nine buckets and nine free throws on efficient splits. Those numbers included a 5-for-8 showing from beyond the arc, helping the Aggies match their season-best output from deep with 14 made triples on just 29 attempts.
 
Aaron Williams Jr. and Campbell were red-hot from three-point range to open the ballgame, with Campbell's trey at the 10:38 mark of the first half – assisted by Williams Jr. – giving OPSU a 19-18 edge.
 
Nelson started to gain separation as the opening period drew to a close, but Williams Jr. provided a late scoring punch, and Erez Cohen made two free throws and blocked a shot in the final seconds to pull Panhandle State within nine, 47-38, at the break.
 
OPSU further chipped away, trailing 57-50 with under 15 minutes to play. The Lions then got hot as the Aggie offense dried up, leading to the NAIA's 18th-ranked squad grabbing a commanding 80-54 edge with 6:36 to go.
 
Suddenly, though, the home team caught fire, scoring one way or another on its final 14 possessions of the game. The remarkable scoring run gave the Aggies a prayer in the last 40 seconds when Braedyn Ellison made a three-pointer to make it a seven-point game.
 
Panhandle State got all the way to within five of the Lions as Jacob Taitte, who was ultra-aggressive during the Aggies' frantic comeback, knocked down a late free throw.
 
Williams Jr. poured in 23 points, dished out five dimes and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.
 
Kensington Grant-Brown made timely buckets throughout the contest, finishing his day 5-of-9 from deep for 15 points. Taitte chipped in nine points and nine rebounds.
 
OPSU did the little things well, committing only 10 turnovers and converting on 20-of-23 free throws.
 
What's up next: OPSU takes to the road for a three-game trip (including one exhibition) to conclude the 2025 calendar year, beginning Thursday, Dec. 11, at Central Christian (6-5, 1-4).