MACU Athletics
Tim Shay, Sports Information Director
Women’s Hoops Closes out 2017 SAC Slate with Road Win at Texas Wesleyan
FORT WORTH, Texas – Coming off a difficult home loss on Thursday night, the Mid-America Christian University women’s basketball team took to the floor at Texas Wesleyan University on Saturday with a chance to end the 2017 Sooner Athletic Conference schedule on a positive note. The Lady Evangels led for much of the game, and a solid third quarter helped put the game away.
MACU (6-4, 2-2 SAC) held Texas Wesleyan (2-8, 0-4 SAC) to only 11 points in the third, building an eight point lead entering the final period of play and the Lady Evangels were able to make it stick, taking the 78-69 win for their first road win of the season.
Alexis Shannon opened the scoring 20 seconds into the game, and she was off and running, though the game remained close for much of the first quarter. The quarter saw four ties and six lead changes, but MACU built as much as a six point lead before Texas Wesleyan closed the gap to 20-18 at the end of the quarter. The Rams continued their surge early in the second quarter turning their deficit into a five point lead that they held for much of the second frame. The Lady Evangels, however, put together an 11-0 run over just less than two minutes to put MACU up 42-36. Shannon capped a tremendous first half as a part of that run, knocking down a pair of free throws as a part of a 17-point first half effort. The rams, though rallied with the final six points of the first half, and at intermission, the score was tied at 42.
Texas Wesleyan scored the first three points of the second half, but the Lady Evangels seized control over the next 3:44 of the game. MACU put together a 13-0 run, with Shannon and Ossyana Ozoani scoring 10 of the 13 points in that span. The Lady Evangels then locked down on the defensive end, holding the Rams to 3-for-18 (16.7%) shooting in the stanza, and after three quarters, MACU led 61-53. The Lady Evangels kept the Rams at bay throughout the fourth frame. The MACU lead was never less than five points in the frame, and when the clock hit all zeros, MACU had the 78-69 victory.
Shannon posted her fourth double-double of the season, scoring a game-high 27 points and adding 11 rebounds. She was one of four Lady Evangels in double-figures, joined by Mykayla Flores (15), Chelseah Savage (13), and Ozoani (10). Ozoani and Flores also narrowly missed double-doubles, with Ozoani grabbing nine rebounds and Flores grabbing eight boards and adding five assists. Savage also had seven assists in the game.
As a team, MACU shot 26-for-67 (38.8%) including 10-for-30 (33.3%) from long distance for the game. The Lady Evangels also made 16-of-23 (69.6%) free throws in the game.
MACU will have one more game in 2017, a non-conference tilt with Southwestern College (Kan.) on Dec. 30. The Lady Evangels and the Moundbuilders (2-13) will tip things off at 3 p.m.
Six in Double Figures as Men’s Basketball Runs Winning Streak to Eight
FORT WORTH, Texas – Saturday afternoon was a textbook example of how depth can help in a basketball game. The Mid-America Christian University men’s basketball team did not have any of the top three scorers in their game against Texas Wesleyan University, but it was the Evangels who had more depth of scoring options, and in the end that proved enough to pick up a big road win.
NAIA #20 MACU (9-2, 4-0 SAC) had six scorers in double-figures, as the Evangels picked up a road victory over defending NAIA Division I National Champion Texas Wesleyan University (6-5, 1-3 SAC), 77-71.
Texas Wesleyan opened the game with the first five points of the night, but MACU bounced back to claim the lead with an 11-2 run that put the Evangels up 11-7 with 16:03 to go in the first half. The Rams answered with a 17-5 spurt to take a 24-16 lead, and TWU eventually led by as many as nine at 28-19 with 7:04 to play. The Evangels, however, closed the half on a 19-2 run to take a 38-30 lead into the locker room at the break.
Jordan Rhodes connected on a 3-pointer to open the second half to push the Evangels’ lead to 11, but the Rams began to whittle away at the deficit, eventually closing the gap to only two with 12:27 to play. The Evangels, however, repelled the run, and they did not relinquish the lead. MACU led by as many eight down the stretch, and the Evangels sealed the game at the foul line, as they took the win, 77-71.
Cade Upshaw led the contingent of MACU scorers with 14 points in the game, including a 6-for-6 effort from the foul line. Rhodes and Javan Perry each had 13, Keyshawn Perkins and Justin Bogle chipped in 11 apiece, and Therence Mayimba added 10 in the game. Mayimba posted a team-best eight rebounds, and Perry dished out five assists in the game. As a team, MACU made 24-of-56 (42.9%) shots from the floor, including 14-of-30 (46.7%) from 3-point land. The Evangels were also lights out from the free throw line, making 15-of-17 (88.2%) from the charity stripe.
MACU will be off for the remainder of 2017, and the Evangels will return to the court on Jan. 4, 2018 when they head to nearby Bethany, Oklahoma to take on the Southwestern Christian University Eagles (7-4, 3-1 SAC) at 8 p.m.