The Lowdown: University of the Southwest (N.M.) @ Mid-America Christian University
Time: Thursday (Dec. 18) at 7 p.m.
Location: Gaulke Activity Center, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Live Video
Live Stats:
The Countdown is On: MACU head coach Willie Holley is closing on his historic 800th win, as he is only four wins away from the milestone. Only 16 head coaches have achieved the 800 win plateau and only one active NAIA head coach (Dr. Dave Holmquist, Biola University).
The Dish on the Evangels: The Mid-America Christian University Evangels dug a 27-point hole in the second half, battled back to within two, but couldn't complete the rally and fell 99-91 to the College of the Ozarks Bobcats last Thursday night (Dec. 11) to fall to 8-4 on the season. Reggie Davis led the Evangels with a game-high 24 points and also tied for team-high honors with five rebounds. Farris scored 23 and dished out a game-high nine assists. Wilson and Chris Runnels each scored 12 and Josh Smith also had five boards.
Davis leads the Evangels this season in both points (17.9 ppg) and rebounds (6.3 rpg) and is tied for the team-lead with 21 threes. Semar Farris is second in scoring with 16.2 ppg along with a team-high 62 assists on the season and has also hit 21 treys. Jerrick Massenburge (13.0 ppg) and Jarius Wilson (10.3 ppg) are also scoring in double-figures, with Wilson also nailing 21 threes this season.
The Dish on the Mustangs: The University of the Southwest (N.M.) Mustangs, under former MACU assistant head coach Charles Goar, enter the contest on a roll, winners of four of their last five to improve to 6-5 overall this season. The Mustangs are coming off a thrilling 83-82 victory at SAC member Southwestern Christian University Tuesday night (Dec. 16).
The Mustangs are led in scoring by Reginald Sonnier with 16.1 ppg. Sonnier is also second in rebounding with 7.3 rpg. Darius Revels is second in scoring at 16.0 ppg, while Andre Gomez is scoring 14.3 ppg along with a team-high 35 threes on the season. Jose Lara has a team-best 7.5 rpg for USW.
The Series: The Evangels have won both meetings between the two schools since joining the NAIA in 2007. MACU defeated USW 97-84 last season at home and knocked off the Mustangs 98-86 earlier this season (Nov. 8) at the Hudiburg Tip-Off Classic at Hillsdale College.
Welcome Home: USM Head Coach Charlie Goar will once again return to his old stomping grounds tonight. Goar played at MACU and set the school single-season record for steals (138) and free-throw percentage (.938) during the 89-90 season. He then returned to MACU and served a seven-year stint as Assistant Head Coach.
The Coaches:
Willie Holley is in his 42nd season as head coach at Mid-America Christian University and his 796 career victories rank first in school history and second all-time in the NAIA.
Entering the 2014-15 season, Holley has announced that this year will be his last of a legendary tenure.
He coached the Evangels to a tie for second place in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 12-8 league record, their highest-finish as an NAIA school.
He also led MACU to its first-ever SAC Tournament victory last season and had the program within one spot of qualifying for their initial NAIA National Tournament berth.
After coming up just short for the NAIA Tournament, the Evangels qualified for their 23rd National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Tournament appearance.
The 2013-14 campaign also featured Holley coaching an NAIA All-America performer for the fourth straight season, as guard Semar Farris earned second-team NAIA All-America honors.
Holley has helped the Evangels become competitive in a short period of time in the Sooner Athletic Conference and broke through in 2012-13. Holley guided the Evangels to a 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 18 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.
Charles Goar is in his second season as the head coach of the University of the Southwest Mustangs. Before taking over the USW program, Goar spent seven seasons as assistant men's basketball coach at Mid-America Christian University and was instrumental in helping the Evangels progress in the Sooner Athletic Conference of the NAIA. He played a key role in helping the Evangels bring in perhaps their best recruiting class to that point for the 2011-12 season since joining the league in 2007. He also helped guide the Evangels to a 2007 NCCAA National Championship and a fifth place finish in 2006.
Up Next: The Evangels will next compete on Jan. 2, 2015 at NCAA D-II member West Texas A&M University. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. in Canyon, Texas.
