Joplin, Mo. -- The Mid-America Christian University Evangels used a big first half run to seize control and cruised to a 79-62 victory over the Lincoln University (Mo.) Blue Tigers in the opening night of the Freeman Sports Medicine/Chris Tucker Memorial Classic at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the campus of Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo.  

The Evangels are now 6-1 on the season, while the Blue Tigers, an NCAA D-II school out of the MIAA Conference fall to 1-3.  

The victory over Lincoln is the Evangels' ninth (including exhibitions) over an NCAA D-II opponent since 2011. 

With the score 11-11 early in the opening half, the Evangels gained some seperation as Reggie Davis and Chris Runnels combined to score all 10 points of a 10-0 spurt that made it 21-11. 

The lead was nine when the Evangels pulled away even more by out-scoring the Blue Tigers 12-5 during the final 6:05 of the half to stretch the edge to 44-28 at the break. 

MACU continued the onslaught with a 6-1 spurt out of the locker room that built the lead to 50-29 at the 16:18 mark of the second half. 

The closest the Blue Tigers could get was 17 with 11:07 left, but the Evangels answered in a big way as a three-point play by Runnels and a trey from Brock Hunter bookended a 13-2 spurt that gave MACU its largest of the game of 70-42 with 8:28 left. 

Davis and Runnels each scored 17 to lead the Evangels, with Runnels' point total being a career-best. Semar Farris had 14 points along with six rebounds, with Jerrick Massenburge adding 12 and a team-high three assists.  Jerrick Warren also pulled down six boards for the Evangels. 

Greg Motley led the Blue Tigers with 15 points, while Malcolm McDonald recorded a double-double of 12 points and 11 boards. 

The Evangels will face the tourney host MSSU Lions tomorrow evening (Nov. 22) at 5 p.m.  The Lions, also an NCAA D-II squad in the MIAA, are coming off a 25-6 season that featured an MIAA Tournament championship and a NCAA Central Regional semifinal appearance.