OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Mid-America Christian University Lady Evangels made things very interesting much of the way, but the No. 3-ranked Oklahoma City University Stars pulled away late to win 79-69 in a Sooner Athletic Conference matchup Saturday afternoon (Jan. 17) at Abe Lemons Arena on the OCU campus.

The Lady Evangels hung close throughout and came within two on a Cheyenne Been layup that made it 66-64 with 5:34 remaining.

From that point, OCU put the clamps down and scored the next 13 points, receiving field goals from five different players over the nearly five minute span. 

Been halted the run with a three and Lauren McKinney hit two at the free throw line with 42 seconds left, but it was too late as Yvonte Neal hit two at the line to create the final 10-point margin for the Stars.

The Lady Evangels could have folded much earlier, as the Stars quickly stretched a five-point halftime lead to 12 in the first three minutes of the second half.

But Been hit a three and McKinney and Ashlee Ferguson combined for 12 points of a 15-6 spurt that cut the lead to 57-54.

After the Stars built the lead back to nine on two more occasions, the Lady Evangels again fought back with seven straight to make it a two-point game.

Ferguson led the Lady Evangels (10-7, 4-4 SAC) with 20 points, including 6-of-15 from three-point distance.  Been scored 18 and McKinney had 14 along with a team-high seven rebounds.

Neal led all scorers with 23 points to pace OCU (10-2, 7-1 SAC), while the Stars got double-doubles from both Ouleymatou Coulibaly (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Autumn Lau (13 points, 10 rebounds). 

MACU knocked down 11-of-28 from the perimeter as a team to hang close despite shooting only 38.6 percent (22-of-57) overall from the floor and being out-rebounded 45-23. 

The Lady Evangels will be on the road against another nationally ranked opponent when they travel to No. 19-ranked John Brown University on Thursday evening (Jan. 23).  Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. in Siloam Springs, Ark.