OKLAHOMA CITY -- Just three nights after scoring a career-high 25 points, junior guard Jarius Wilson bested that with a career-best 28 points to power the Mid-America Christian University Evangels to a 99-85 victory over the College of the Ozarks Bobcats Saturday afternoon (Nov. 9) inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
Following a slow start that resulted in the Bobcats gaining an early 11-7 lead, the Evangels found another gear and outscored COFO 24-4 over the next 7:30 for a commanding 31-15 edge. Wilson fueled the surge with nine points during that span.
The Evangels (2-0) carried a 52-38 lead into the locker room and quickly expanded that edge as Wilson nailed a pair of threes and Luke Mergerson scored inside to cap a 10-1 spurt that made it 64-41 with 15:42 remaining.
After two more threes by Wilson grew the lead to 74-50, Alex Santiago scored seven points to spark a 20-8 run by the Bobcats (3-1) that cut the lead in half at the 6:50 mark.
But consecutive buckets by Josh Minner and Reggie Davis stretched the lead back to 16 and the Evangels never allowed the Bobcats closer than 12 the rest of the way.
Wilson shot 11-of-16 overall from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from three-point distance. Semar Farris and Angelo Lewis each scored 16, with Farris dishing out a game-high nine assists. Davis and Minner each reached double-figures with 11 points apiece. Mergerson pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds.
Nathane Simniok led the Bobcats with 19 points and 12 boards. Santiago scored 16 and Daniels chipped in with 12 points. Ethan Murray also scored in double-digits with 10 points.
The Evangels shot a blistering 56.1 percent (37-of-66) overall from the floor, including 9-of-12 from the perimeter. The Evangels limited the Bobcats to 42.6 percent (29-of-68) overall and 8-of-25 from three-point range.
MACU will remain at home and host the University of the Southwest (N.M.) Mustangs on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. Former MACU Associate Head Coach Charles Goar is in his first season as head coach of Southwest.
