The Lowdown: No. 17 Oklahoma City University @ Mid-America Christian University
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Gaulke Activity Center, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Live Video
Live Stats
The Dish on the Evangels: The Mid-America Christian University Evangels lost their fifth straight by falling 96-92 at No. 20-ranked St. Gregory's University Cavaliers in the NAIA Game of the Week last Saturday (Feb. 22) in Shawnee, Okla.
The Evangels dropped to 14-10 overall and into a tie for fourth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference at 10-8 in the league.
Semar Farris is leading the Evangels in both scoring (20.0 ppg), assists (123) and steals (75).
Angelo Lewis is second in scoring at 16.2 ppg and has a team-high 6.1 rebounds a game. Jarius Wilson (13.6 ppg) and Reggie Davis (11.9 ppg) are also scoring in double-figures for MACU.
The Dish on the Stars: The Oklahoma City University Stars have surged into second place in the SAC by winning six of their last seven games to move to 12-6 in the league and 16-9 overall.
R.J. McGhee leads the Stars in scoring at 19.3 ppg, followed Terry Johnson at 15.2 ppg. Terrence Walker is averaging 10.8 and Jamaal Crayton is at 10.6 ppg, with Crayton also leading the Stars with 5.7 rebounds per game and 73 assists on the season.
The Series: The Evangels are 4-9 against Oklahoma City University since joining the NAIA in 2007. OCU won the first meeting this season 97-89 in OT after erasing a seven-point deficit in the final minute of regulation.
The Coaches:
Willie Holley is in his 41st season as head coach at Mid-America Christian University and his 783 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.
Dionne Phelps is in his third season as head coach at Oklahoma City University after spending five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma. During his time at OU, Phelps helped the Sooners to a 96-69 record, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2009 that featured eventual No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Blake Griffin.
Up Next: The Evangels will play at Southwestern Christian University Saturday afternoon (Mar. 1) in the regular season finale at 5 p.m. in Bethany, Okla.
