The Lowdown: # 8 Oklahoma Baptist University vs. # 5 Mid-America Christian University
Time: Friday (Mar. 7) at 6 p.m.
Location: Noble Complex @ Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, Okla.
Live Video
Live Stats
The Dish on the Evangels: The Mid-America Christian University Evangels notched their first-ever Sooner Athletic Conference tournament victory by hanging on for an 87-85 victory over the Oklahoma City University Stars. The game came down to the final possession when the Evangels led by two and forced a turnover in the final seconds to close out the win.
Wilson powered the Evangels (17-10) with a career-best 29 points, one more than his previous career-best of 28 back on Nov. 9. Wilson also equaled a career-high with five makes from the perimeter.
Semar Farris scored 17 along with four assists and four steals, while Reggie Davis chipped in with 10 points. Stephen Armstrong scored eight and Angelo Lewis also scored eight along with a game-high eight rebounds.
Farris was recently named the SAC Newcomer of the Year and is leading the Evangels in scoring (20.1 ppg), assists (144) and steals (87) this season.
Angelo Lewis, a third-team All-SAC selection, is second in scoring at 16.0 ppg and has a team-high 6.4 rebounds a game. Jarius Wilson (14.6 ppg) and Reggie Davis (11.9 ppg) are also scoring in double-figures for MACU.
The Dish on the Bison: The Oklahoma Baptist University Bison advanced to the SAC semifinals tonight with their fourth straight win, a thrilling 79-78 win over top-seeded and No. 5-ranked Southwestern Assemblies of God University in overtime last night (Mar. 6). Aaron Abram led the Bison with a strong double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds.
Abram leads the Bison this season with 18.4 ppg along with a team-high 8.3 rebounds a game. Kendall Parks has dished out a team-leading 252 assists on the season.
The Series: The Evangels have lost 11 of 14 meetings with Oklahoma Baptist University since joining the NAIA, but swept the season series with OBU this year. This is the first meeting between the two schools at the SAC Tournament.
The Coaches:
Willie Holley is in his 41st season as head coach at Mid-America Christian University and his 786 career victories rank first in school history and second all-time in the NAIA. This season, Holley has coached the Evangels to a four-way tie for second-place in the Sooner Athletic Conference, their best-ever conference finish
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.
Doug Tolin is in his 14th season as head coach of OBU and has led the Bison to 13 consecutive NAIA Tournaments, including a national championship in 2010 and a national runner-up finish in 2012. He is a three-time SAC Coach of the Year and was named the NAIA Coach of the Year in 2010.
Up Next: With a victory, the Evangels would make their first-ever appearance in the SAC tournament championship game on Saturday night (Mar. 8) at 7 p.m. against the winner of USAO/Wayland Baptist University.
