OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University Lady Evangels got a career-high 25 points and a game-high 19 rebounds from D'Shala Culberson in an 87-56 victory today (Feb. 6) over the St. Gregory's University Cavaliers in Sooner Athletic Conference action inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
The win completes a season sweep of the Cavaliers, with the Lady Evangels also winning the first meeting 71-67 on Jan. 16 in Shawnee, Okla.
The Lady Evangels carried a 14-6 lead into the second quarter and gained more breathing room as Sarai Rodriguez scored five points to key a 9-1 spurt that extended the lead to 23-9 at the 6:45 mark.
The lead later ballooned to 18 when a layup from Kelli Tolar capped a run of six straight points by the Lady Evangels until a three by Denisha Lundy brought the Cavaliers within 36-21 at the break.
MACU put away the Cavaliers with a big third quarter, outscoring SGU 19-4 during the first four minutes of the period behind eight points from Culberson in that span for a 55-25 cushion at the 3:47 mark.
The Lady Evangels put it on cruise control from that point, taking their biggest lead of the game when Culberson scored nine points to fuel an 11-3 push that stretched the edge to 80-44 with 4:33 remaining.
Culberson shot a perfect 10-of-10 from the floor and also hit all five of her free-throw attempts. Her 19 boards are only one shy of tying her own school single-game record (as an NAIA school) she set earlier this season in a 98-90, double-overtime win over John Brown University (1/7).
The Lady Evangels also got 22 points and a career-high tying six assists from Tolar, with Rodriguez scoring 14 points along with six dimes. Alliyah Spatafora scored 12 points and hit 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Ashleigh Sparks and Aliyah Richard each scored 14 points to lead the Cavaliers and Lundy added 10 points.
The Lady Evangels out-rebounded SGU 51-40 overall while limiting the Cavaliers to only 31.4 percent (22-of-70) overall from the field and only 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from three-point distance.
Next up the Lady Evangels will host USAO Thursday evening (Feb. 11) at 6 p.m.
MACU defeated the Drovers 79-70 in the first matchup this season (Jan. 26) in Chickasha, Okla.
