Dec. 8, 2007
12.8.07 - OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.- The Mid-America Christian University Evangels comeback fell short against the defending National Champions, the Oklahoma City University Stars Saturday, Dec. 8. OCU held off MACU for the 75-68 win.
The Evangels gave up some key runs in the game that separated the Stars from the Evangels. MACU gave up 14 offensive rebounds and allowed OCU to shoot 43% from the field.
"We played a good ball game," Head Coach Willie Holley said. "We were in the game until the very end."
The first half was back and forth and produced eight lead changes. The Evangels gained an early 18-9 advantage, but the Stars came back and pulled ahead at the 5:11 mark. OCU stretched their lead to ten points with less than three minutes left in the first half, but MACU responded and cut the OCU lead.
The Evangels went into the locker room at half time, down 42-35.
The Stars stretched their lead to 19 points with 8:50 remaining in the game. However, the Evangels began to chip away at the lead. MACU slowly began to cut the lead and pulled within ten points with a little over a minute remaining in the game.
Senior Donald Thorne hit a three-point basket with forty-one seconds remaining and suddenly the Evangels found themselves down just five points. OCU missed the first free-throw of a one-in-one and MACU had the ball down five with seconds left in the game, but OCU held off the Evangels for the win.
The Evangels were out rebounded by nine in the second half, but turned the ball over just two times in the second half.
Junior Clint Nixon scored a team high fifteen points and grabbed four rebounds. Senior Stevan Thomas had 13 points and five rebounds, whileThorne contributed 11 points and six rebounds. Senior Tracy Wilkins scored 10 points.
The Evangels are 4-6, and 0-3 in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
MACU will host Southern Nazarene University Thursday, Jan. 3 at 8:00 p.m.
If you are interested in playing men's basketball for MACU or would like more information about the men's basketball program, contact Coach Charles Goar at 405-692-3267 or via email at cgoar@macu.edu.
