Plainview, Texas -- The Mid-America Christian University Lady Evangels, under second-year head coach Marcus Moeller, head into tomorrow's regular season finale with a chance to secure a fourth-place finish in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a victory at No. 20-ranked Wayland Baptist University.
Fourth-place would be the highest finish for the Lady Evangels in conference since joining the NAIA after winding up fifth last season, their best finish to date.
In the first meeting this season, the Lady Evangels got the best of the Flying Queens 84-66 back on Jan. 15 inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
The Lady Evangels fired on all cylinders offensively in the win, getting a double-double of 22 points and 16 rebounds from Alexia Kelley. It was also the debut of Lyndsey Mann, who scored 19 points on 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-6 from the perimeter. Alliyah Spatafora scored 17 and Ashlee Ferguson chipped in with 11.
Ferguson leads the Lady Evangels (16-10, 9-8 SAC) with 16.2 points per game and Kelley is averaging a double-double of 12.4 points and 10 boards a game. Spatafora has dished out a team-best 129 assists on the season.
Stephanie Afunugo leads five Flying Queens in double-figure scoring with 13.6 ppg. Laura Castillo is second in scoring at 12.7 ppg and has team-highs in both assists (88) and threes (56). Iesha Greer and LaTericka Anderson are tied for the team-lead with 8.8 rebounds per game for the Flying Queens (17-10, 12-5 SAC).
The Series: The Lady Evangels snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Flying Queens overall with the victory earlier this season and are 3-12 vs. WBU since joining the NAIA.
The Coaches:
Marcus Moeller is in his second season as the head women's basketball coach after serving as assistant coach for the past two seasons. He has also served as the Assistant Athletic Director at MACU for the past two years. Moeller has a solid 34-24 record to this point at the helm.
In his first year guiding the program, Moeller guided the Lady Evangels to new heights, leading MACU its most wins (18) since joining the NAIA and also a program-best 11 victories in the rugged Sooner Athletic Conference.
Prior to arriving at MACU, Moeller after served three years as an assistant coach at Missouri Southern State University under the tutorship of head coach Maryann Mitts. In those three seasons, Moeller helped MSSU compile an overall combined record of 51-33 and qualify for three MIAA conference tournaments.
He assisted in all areas of the MSSU program including recruiting, scouting, practice and gameday preparations, and academic success.
Before coaching at MSSU, Moeller had a successful playing career at Ozark Christian College in Joplin where he played in all 147 games over a four-year span. Moeller, a two-year captain, averaged eight points and five assists while helping lead the Ambassadors to a 24-16 record his senior season.
Moeller earned a three-year Associate's degree in Christian Education from Ozark Christian College in 2008 and a BS in General Studies from Missouri Southern in 2010.
He recently married Hannah Owen, former MACU assistant basketball coach during the 2010-11 season.
Alesha Robertson-Ellis is in her second season at Wayland Baptist University. The Plainview, Texas native was named the SAC Co-Coach of the Year in her first year after leading the Flying Queens to the NAIA National Tournament for just the second time in a decade. Robertson played collegiately at Texas Tech University and recently coached for Hoop55 and Lubbock Christian High School. Robertson guided LCHS to the TAPPS 3A state championship in 2013.
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