The Lowdown: Mid-America Christian University @ USAO
When: Tonight (Jan. 30) at 6 p.m.
Location: Chickasha, Okla.
Live Video and Stats
The Dish on the Lady Evangels: The Mid-America Christian University Lady Evangels got back in the win column with a dominating 84-65 victory over St. Gregory's University Cavaliers last Saturday (Jan. 25) to improve to 11-5 overall and back to .500 in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 5-5 conference mark.
Ashlee Ferguson is leading the Lady Evangels with 14.7 points per game, while Adaugo Osuala is scoring 11.4 ppg and is third on the team with 32 assists despite missing the past eight games. Alliyah Spatafora has recorded a team-high 36 assists this year. Lauren McKinney is scoring 10.9 ppg and leads the Lady Evangels with 8.4 rebounds per game. Cheyenne Been is also averaging double-figure scoring at 10.5 ppg and is second with 34 assists.
As a team, the Lady Evangels rank sixth in the NAIA in threes made (164) and seventh in threes per game (8.6).
The Dish on the Drovers: The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Drovers are in the midst of a five-game losing streak and are 3-9 overall with a 2-7 record in the SAC.
Sami Martin has a team-high 13.0 ppg for USAO, followed closely by Rashelle Carr at 12.9 ppg. Pagie Pulliam is also scoring in double-figures at 10.3 ppg and leads the Drovers with 32 assists. Jordan Cooper is pulling down a team-best 6.8 rebounds on the season.
The Series: After dropping the first four games against the Drovers, the Lady Evangels have won the past nine games between the two schools. MACU won all three meetings last year, including a 69-64 victory over USAO in the Sooner Athletic Conference postseason tournament.
The Coaches:
Marcus Moeller is in his first season as the head women's basketball coach after serving as assistant coach for the past two years. He has also served as the Assistant Athletic Director at MACU for the past year. Moeller has gotten off to a good start, guiding the Lady Evangels to an eight-game winning streak earlier this season, their longest since joining the NAIA.
Prior to arriving at MACU, Moeller after served three years as an assistant coach at Missouri Southern State University under the tutorship of head coach Maryann Mitts. In those three seasons, Moeller helped MSSU compile an overall combined record of 51-33 and qualify for three MIAA conference tournaments.
He assisted in all areas of the MSSU program including recruiting, scouting, practice and gameday preparations, and academic success.
Before coaching at MSSU, Moeller had a successful playing career at Ozark Christian College in Joplin where he played in all 147 games over a four-year span. Moeller, a two-year captain, averaged eight points and five assists while helping lead the Ambassadors to a 24-16 record his senior season.
Moeller earned a three-year Associate's degree in Christian Education from Ozark Christian College in 2008 and a BS in General Studies from Missouri Southern in 2010.
Jennifer Hayden is in her second season as head coach of the USAO Drovers following a two-year stint on the staff of NCAA Division III Sul Ross State University. Before arriving at Sul Ross, Hayden began a new program as head coach of the University of the Southwest in Hobbs, N.M.
Up Next: The Lady Evangels return home to host Texas Wesleyan University Saturday afternoon (Feb. 1) at 3 p.m. inside the Gaulke Activity Center. MACU won the earlier meeting this season with TWU 76-67 back on Dec. 4 in Fort Worth, Texas.
