Shawnee, Okla. -- Just hours after notching their highest NAIA national ranking in school history, the No. 18-ranked Mid-America Christian University Evangels took care of business on the court and grinded out a 69-64 victory over the Oklahoma Baptist University Bison Tuesday night (Jan. 7) at the Noble Complex in Shawnee, Okla.
It's just the second win 13 tries for the Evangels over OBU since joining the NAIA, with both victories coming on the road.
The decisive moment of the game occurred when the Evangels were clinging to a 65-62 lead and Angelo Lewis corralled a missed free throw and stuck it back in for a critical two-possession lead with 17 seconds left.
Lewis then came up with a steal at midcourt and hit two at the free throw line to ice the win.
The Evangels trailed 53-46 when they made their move as Semar Farris hit two at the charity stripe to start a 9-0 spurt for a 55-53 lead at the 6:31 mark.
Reggie Davis converted a three-point play to tie the score before Lewis hit the go-ahead putback.
After Aaron Abram split a pair at the line for the Bison to make it a one-point game, Farris knocked down a three to stretch the lead to four with 6:05 left.
The Bison then scored four straight on two free throws by Abram and a basket by Morris Woods that created a 58-58 gridlock.
But MACU got some breathing room on a freebie by Farris and consecutive shots from Jarius Wilson and Lewis for a five-point lead with 2:48 remaining.
The Evangels got off to a slow start, falling behind 12-3 in the first six minutes of the opening half.
MACU then had an emphatic answer with an 18-4 burst over the next six minutes for a 21-16 lead.
The Evangels led by as many as seven in the first half before settling for a 31-28 lead at the break.
The second half started much like the first for the Evangels, with the Bison coming out of the gate quickly by scoring the first nine points.
Farris led the Evangels with 20 points and also produced a game-high six steals. Lewis scored 16, with Josh Minner and Luke Mergerson each recording a team-best six rebounds.
It was a two-man show for the Bison, as Woods (29) and Abram (19) accounted for 48 of the team's 64 points.
Bench play was also key in the Evangels' victory, as the MACU reserves enjoyed an 18-4 scoring edge.
The Evangels will look to continue their climb toward the top of the SAC on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 11) at Wayland Baptist University. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. in Plainview, Texas.
