The Lowdown: John Brown University @ Mid-America Christian University
Time: Thursday (Jan. 8) at 8 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 lost a hard fought 92-84 matchup last Friday night (Jan. 2) to NCAA D-II West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. It was 78-78 heading into the extra session and the Evangels squeaked ahead 81-80 on a split at the free throw line by Jarius Wilson with 2:59 left.
That's the point the Buffs gained command as a pair of threes by David Chavlovich ignited an 8-0 surge that made it 88-81 at the 1:26 mark.
Following a three by Semar Farris that pulled the Evangels within four, Miles Gatewood answered with a layup with 40 seconds left and two free throws then put it away for the Buffs.
It's the fourth straight setback for the Evangels and they are currently 8-6 overall and 1-1 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
Semar Farris now leads the Evangels in scoring (17.6 ppg), assists (76), steals (33) and threes (29). Reggie Davis is second in scoring with 17.1 ppg and has a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game. Jerrick Massenburge (11.7 ppg) and Jarius Wilson (10.4 ppg) are also scoring in double-figures while Chris Runnels has swatted a team-best 24 shots on the season.
The Dish on the Golden Eagles: The John Brown University Golden Eagles have lost three straight games after beginning the season a red-hot 10-1. JBU is 2-0 in the SAC, having won at USAO and at home against Oklahoma Baptist University.
DJ Feitl is leading the Golden Eagles in scoring with 18.9 ppg, while Max Hopfgartner is second in scoring (15.7 ppg) and has a team-high 7.9 rpg. Griffin Brady is scoring 12.5 ppg and Samson Olayemi leads JBU with 55 assists.
The Series: The Evangels have a mark of 5-9 against JBU since joining the NAIA after splitting the season series last year with each team winning on the road. The Evangels are 3-4 at home vs. the Golden Eagles as an NAIA school.
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.
Jason Beschta is in his first season as head coach of the John Brown University Golden Eagles following a three-year tenure at the helm of Oklahoma Wesleyan University. In his third season, Beschta led OKWU to a regular season co-championship in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference and an at-large berth to the NAIA Division II National Tournament.
Up Next: The Evangels will next be at Oklahoma City University Saturday afternoon (Jan. 10) at 5 p.m.
