The Lowdown: No. 22 Mid-America Christian University @ John Brown University
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Siloam Springs, Ark.
Live Video
Live Stats
The Dish on the Evangels: The No. 22-ranked Mid-America Christian University Evangels lost a tough one in overtime last Saturday at the Oklahoma City University Stars by a count of 97-89 in overtime. The Evangels appeared to be in good shape with a 77-70 lead with 1:07 left, but OCU rallied to force OT and once in the extra session outscored MACU 20-12 to take the win. Reggie Davis led the Evangels with a career-high 34 points, while RJ McGhee powered OCU with 42 points.
MACU is currently 9-5 overall and second in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 5-3 conference record.
Semar Farris is leading the Evangels in both scoring 19.8 ppg), assists (74) and steals (43). Angelo Lewis is right behind at 18.2 ppg along a with team-best 6.3 rebounds a game. Jarius Wilson (12.5 ppg) and Reggie Davis (12.0 ppg) are also scoring in double-figures for MACU.
Farris is fifth in the NAIA in steals per game (3.1 spg) and ninth in assists per game (5.3 apg).
The Evangels are also all over the map in the NAIA Top 10 statistical rankings. MACU is ninth in points per game (91.9 ppg), sixth in assists per game (17.4 apg) and sixth in three-point percentage (.384), three-point defense (.297) and steals per game (10.8 spg).
The Dish on the Golden Eagles: The John Brown University Golden Eagles are 12-5 overall and 2-5 in the SAC but have lost five of their last six after starting the season 11-0.
Kofi Josephs leads JBU in scoring with 18.9 points per game and Gilbert Gyamfi is right behind at 17.7 ppg. Max Hopfgarnter is scoring 14.5 ppg, while Nate Anderson is at 10.5 ppg along with a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game. Kurtis Phillips leads JBU with 58 assists on the season.
The Golden Eagles are one of the top-shooting teams in the country, ranking fourth in the NAIA in field-goal percentage (.506).
The Series: The Evangels have a mark of 4-8 against JBU since joining the NAIA and lost both meetings with the Golden Eagles last season. The Evangels' last win over JBU was an 87-59 victory over the then No. 13-ranked Golden Eagles in 2012.
The Coaches:
Willie Holley is in his 41st season as head coach at Mid-America Christian University and his 778 career victories rank first in school history and second all-time in the NAIA.
Holley helped the Evangels become competitive in a short period of time in the Sooner Athletic Conference and broke through last season. Holley guided the Evangels to their highest-ever finish of third in the SAC with a 9-7 league record. MACU made their first appearance in the NAIA Top 25 in school history, coming in as high as tied for 23rd. The Evangels went on to capture their 20th NCCAA Central Regional Championship and finished fifth at the NCCAA National Tournament.
The 2012-13 season also featured guard Charlie Shorter, who was named SAC Player of the Year, NCCAA National Player of the Year and was a first-team NAIA All-America selection. It's the third straight season Holley has coached an NAIA All-American, as Shorter and Brandon Williams were Honorable-Mention selections in 2011-12 and 2010-11, respectively.
Holley's coaching style is to establish in his players a "no quit" attitude. This style led to an improbable NCCAA National Championship in 2007. The title was the fourth of Holley's illustrious career as he previously won the championship in 1998, 2003, and 2004. This year the plan is to take that same attitude and improve on last season's effort.
During his time at Mid-America, Holley has become a fixture in the athletic program, as he served as Athletic Director from 1973-2012. In 1997, Holley was inducted into the NCCAA Hall of Fame, and he has been named the NCCAA Division II Coach of the Year four times - 1985, 1995, 2000 and 2004. Holley has also coached 17 All- Americans and won numerous conference and regional championships.
Holley earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from University of Louisiana - Monroe in 1970. He and his wife, Janet, have three daughters: Angela, Jessica and Stacey.
Clark Sheehy is in his seventh season at the helm of John Brown University and has led JBU to the NAIA National Tournament the past two seasons. Last season, Sheehy guided the Golden Eagles to their first-ever Sooner Athletic Conference regular season championship.
Up Next: The Evangels will host No. 18-ranked St. Gregory's University in a showdown Saturday afternoon (Jan. 25) at 5 p.m. inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
