OKLAHOMA CITY -- In a nip-and-tuck game that featured 11 ties and 15 lead changes, it was the Mid-America Christian University Evangels that pulled away for good in an 81-74 win at the Oklahoma City University Stars in a Sooner Athletic Conference matchup Tuesday night (Jan. 22) at Abe Lemons Arena on the campus of OCU. It's the Evangels first win at OCU since joining the NAIA in 2007.
It was tied for the 11th and final time at 51-51 when Charlie Shorter put the Evangels on top to stay with a four-point play at the 12:41 mark of the second half.
A three by Reggie Davis extended the lead to seven with 10:19 left, but the Stars three times trimmed the lead to two over the next three minutes.
But buckets by Davis and Yuri Hager and three straight points from Josh Minner gave the Evangels some breathing room with a 73-64 edge with 4:55 remaining.
A score from Josh Smith gave the Evangels their largest lead of the game at 76-66, only to have the Stars score the next six points to stay withing striking distance with 42 seconds remaining.
But Camilo Valencia and Shorter each made two free throws down the stretch to seal the victory for the Evangels.
The opening half was a match of surges as the Evangels (9-6, 4-2 SAC) made the first push with a 12-0 spurt on the strength of six points from Angelo Lewis and consecutive treys by Shorter and Valencia for an early 14-5 lead.
The Stars responded with 12 straight of their own to take a three-point lead at the 13:13 mark of the first half.
Shorter then hit two threes and scored eight points of a 10-0 run that put the Evangels on top 24-17.
Charlton Jones helped the Stars answer by keying a 12-2 spurt with 10 points that made it 29-26 with 6:32 left.
Fittingly, the contest was knotted at 35-35 heading into the locker room.
Shorter led all scorers with 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting overall from the field and 6-of-7 beyond the arc. Lewis scored 20 along with seven rebounds and four steals, while Minner added 12 and also pulled down seven boards. Valencia dished out a team-high five assists.
Terry Johnson paced the Stars with 25 points and Troynell Adams scored 18. Jones chipped in with 17 and Elhadji Wade had a game-high 13 rebounds for OCU (8-7, 1-6 SAC), who have now dropped five straight.
The Evangels were out-rebounded 42-38 overall and 19-12 on the offensive glass, but offset that by limiting the Stars to only a 39.4 percent (28-of-71) shooting clip from the field. MACU shot 48.4 percent (30-of-62) from the field.
MACU will next face another nationally ranked opponent in No. 21-ranked USAO on Thursday night (Jan. 24). Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
