Mid-America Christian men’s basketball cracks NAIA Top 25 for first time

From MACU Sports Information

Kansas City, Mo. — Today is a historic day for the Mid-America Christian University Men’s Basketball program, as the Evangels have jumped into the NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll for the first time in school history, coming in at No. 25 in the organization’s weekly poll for Feb. 5.

The Evangels have played their way into the poll by winning six of their last eight games, including a pair of Top 25 victories at then No. 9-ranked Rogers State University and then No. 21-ranked USAO.

MACU has surged into a tie for second place in the Sooner Athletic Conference with defending NAIA National Runner Up and No. 10-ranked Oklahoma Baptist University.  Both schools are 2 1/2 games in back of conference front-runner and No. 4-ranked John Brown University.

The Evangels’ are all over the SAC statistical rankings, as Charlie Shorter reclaimed the SAC scoring lead with 21.2 ppg, while Angelo Lewis ranks seventh in the league at 15.1 ppg and is tops in the league in field-goal percentage (.594) and steals (2.2 spg). Lewis is also second in the conference in rebounding (7.4 rpg). Camilo Valencia is fifth in the conference in assists per game (4.0 apg).

MACU will try to keep rolling by hosting cross-town rival Oklahoma City University tonight (Feb. 5) at 8 p.m. inside the Gaulke Activity Center.  The Evangels bested OCU 81-74 earlier this season (Jan. 22) on the road.

 

Levi Convirs is the Sports Information Director at Mid-America Christian University.

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