The Lowdown: Texas Wesleyan @ Mid-America Christian University
Time: Dec. 1 @ 6 p.m.
Location: Gaulke Activity Center, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Live Video:
Live Stats:
The Dish on the Lady Evangels: The Mid-America Christian University Lady Evangels are off to a terrific start under new head coach Hannah Moeller, now 7-1 on the season after defeating NCAA D-II and former Sooner Athletic Conference member Northwestern Oklahoma State University 91-82 last Tuesday (Nov. 22).
The Lady Evangels' only setback this season has been to current No. 3-ranked Our Lady of the Lake University back on Nov. 18 at the OCU Classic.
Sarai Rodriguez has been the offensive catalyst for the Lady Evangels, whose 21.6 points per game is tops in the Sooner Athletic Conference and fifth in the NAIA. Rodriguez has already earned two National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Player of the Week awards along with one OklahomaSports.Net honor.
Rodriguez has also hit a team-high 15 threes and is second on the team with 32 assists on the season.
Jamie Lamb is second in scoring with 11.1 ppg, with Nevada Denton ranking third on the team with 10.4 ppg.
Mikki Flores is scoring 10.4 ppg, while dishing out a conference-leading 49 assists. Flores is currently fourth in the NAIA in assists per game (6.1 apg).
As a unit, the Lady Evangels are first in the NAIA in both total rebounds per game (52.2 rpg) and defensive rebounds per game (35.7).
The Dish on the Lady Rams: The Texas Wesleyan University Lady Rams are 4-2 this season and similar to the Lady Evangels, TWU also has an overtime win over LSU-Shreveport.
Katelynn Threats is averaging a double-double for the Lady Rams, with team-highs of 14.8 points per game and 13.2 rebounds. Threats ranks fifth in the NAIA in total rebounds per game and third in defensive rebounds per game (9.8). Bailey Broadnax is second on the team in both points (11.7 ppg) and rebounds (9.0 ppg). Ashlie Bruner leads the Lady Rams in assists (36) this season and also ranks third in rebounding (6.3 rpg). Bruner is currently seventh in the NAIA in assists per game (6.0 apg).
The Lady Rams are also third in the NAIA in both total rebounds per game (32.6 rpg) and defensive rebounding (32.6).
The Series: The Lady Evangels and Lady Rams split the season series last year, with each squad winning on the road. But MACU has won five of the last six in the series and are 5-2 vs. TWU overall.
Battle of the Boards: Tonight's contest between the Lady Evangels and Lady Rams will be a showdown of two of the top rebounding teams in the NAIA. The Lady Evangels lead the NAIA in both total rebounds and defensive rebounding, while the Lady Rams rank third in both categories.
The Coaches:
Hannah Moeller has begun her first season 7-1 as head coach of the Mid-America Christian University women's basketball program.
Moeller is no stranger to MACU; she served as the assistant women's basketball coach during the 2010-2011 season for current Yale University assistant coach Roman Owen.
Moeller takes over the program after a four-year tenure at Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College, now Randall University. During her time at Hillsdale, Moeller was named the 2016 NCCAA National Coach of the Year, won two national championships, was twice named Southwest Regional Coach of the Year, coached nine All-American players and touted a 105-28 coaching record.
In her four seasons working with Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, Moeller accomplished the following:
2016 NCCAA National Coach of the Year
2016 NCCAA National Runner-Up
2013, 2014 ACCA National Champions
2015 ACCA National Runner-Up
2013 and 2016 NCCAA Southwest Region Coach of the Year
2016 season spent 14 weeks ranked #1 in the country
In addition, Moeller was responsible for the recruitment and development of the following student-athletes:
2016 NCCAA/ACCA National Player of the Year
Five NCCAA All-Americans, three for repeating years
Nine ACCA All-Americans, five for repeating years
Three NCCAA Southwest Region Most Valuable Players
Nine NCCAA All-Southwest Region players
14 NCCAA/ACCA Scholar Athletes
Moeller served as the associate head coach at Hillsdale Free Will Baptist during the 2011-2012 and helped lead the Lady Saints to the 2012 ACCA National Championship. Moeller is no stranger to MACU; she served as the assistant women's basketball coach during the 2010-2011 season for current Yale University assistant coach Roman Owen.
After signing to play basketball at the University of Louisiana-Monroe as a senior in high school, Moeller finished her playing career at Rogers State University where she was named the 2009 Rogers State University Female Student Athlete of the Year, a 2009 NAIA Academic All-American and the 2009 Distinguished Graduate of the Sports Management department.
Moeller holds an Associate of Arts from Southwestern Christian University and a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from Rogers State University. Her graduate work is in physical education from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Hannah, her husband Marcus and their 10-month old son Owen reside in Oklahoma City and attend Frontline Church Downtown.
Bill Franey is in his sixth season as head coach of the Texas Wesleyan University Lady Rams. Franey came to TWU in 2009 as an assistant coach and was named interim head coach in 2011. He was then named head coach in October of the same year. Franey has an overall record of 85-70 in five seasons for the Lady Rams and ranks third in program history in coaching wins.
Up Next: The Lady Evangels will remain at home and host Bacone College in a SAC matchup Saturday afternoon (Dec. 3) at 3 pm.
