OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Mid-America Christian University Evangels celebrated the coming new year in style by jumping out to a 22-point lead in the first half and never looking back in a 89-76 victory over the Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles today (Dec. 31) inside the Gaulke Activity Center.

A shot by Yuri Hager gave the Evangels the lead for good at 4-2 and MACU then used a 13-3 spurt to pull out to a 21-6 advantage at the 12:00 mark of the first half.

Following five straight points by the Eagles that trimmed the lead to 10, threes by Charlie Shorter and Reggie Davis capped a 16-4 run that put the Evangels in total command with a 37-15 edge.

Shawn Seymour helped the Eagles fight back by knocking down three treys to fuel a 13-3 surge that made it 40-28 with 3:32 left in the opening half.

But the Evangels regained control heading into the locker room as Angelo Lewis and Josh Smith combined to score all nine points of a 9-2 run that stretched the lead back to 49-30 at the break.

The final 20 minutes featured more of the same as the Evangels kept the Eagles at bay, leading by as many as 21 and never letting OKWU closer than 13 the entire second half.

Shorter led the Evangels with a game-high 30 points and four steals.  Lewis had 13 points and nine rebounds, while Smith added 12 points and also pulled down nine boards.  Josh Minner scored 11 with a game-high 11 rebounds and Hager also reached double-figures with 10 points. 

Devin Harris paced the Eagles (10-3) with 16 points with seven rebounds and Seymour scored 14.  Tyler Woods added 12 points for OKWU.

The Evangels flexed their muscle inside by out-rebounding the Eagles 48-37 overall and 20-9 on the offensive glass. MACU also limited the Eagles to only a 38.9 percent (21-of-54) shooting clip for the game.

MACU will next begin Sooner Athletic Conference action with a stern test at No. 9-ranked Rogers State University on Saturday evening (Jan. 5).  Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. in Claremore, Okla.