OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University men's basketball team returned just two players from their 2016-17 squad this season – Keyshawn Perkins and Jordan Rhodes. On Opening Night against Manhattan Christian College, both played key roles for the Evangels, but it was Perkins who shined the brightest.
Perkins posted the only double-double of the night, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, and he added five assists in MACU's (1-0) 91-77 win over MCC (0-1).
MACU opened the game on a tear, rattling off 17 of the game's first 18 points. The run spanned better than five minutes, and MACU held MCC without a made field goal for the first 5:32 of the night.
Midway through the first half, with the Evangels up 24-12, the Thunder began to make a run. MCC scored nine straight points over the span of three and a half minutes, closing the gap to 24-21, and moments later, a turnover led to another thunder basket that trimmed MACU's lead to 27-26 and forced the Evangels to call a timeout. In the final five minutes of the half, however, MACU put together an 11-5 spurt to take a 42-31 lead into the locker room.
MACU quickly opened a 15-point lead in the second half, and while the margin never got below two possessions in the second half, the Evangels had trouble stretching the lead out. The Evangels slowly began stretching their lead out in the final moments of the game, and when the dust settled, MACU emerged victorious with the 91-77 win.
In addition to Perkins' big night, three other Evangels scored in double figures. Javan Perry put up an 18-point effort with four assists, Rhodes scored 14 and grabbed five boards, and Daniel William had 12 points and four blocked shots. Therence Mayimba finished the night just shy of a double-double, as he scored nine points and pulled in nine rebounds.
MACU made 33-of-60 (55%) shots in the game, and 8-of-21 (38.1%) from deep. They cashed in 17-of-19 (89.5%) free throws as well and the Evangels out-rebounded the Thunder 43-30. The biggest disparity in the scoring breakdown came in the paint, where the Evangels pounded the Thunder 42-14.
MACU will hit the road on Saturday to nearby Moore, Oklahoma, where they will do battle with the 2-time defending NCCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Champions, the Randall University Saints (0-1). Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m.
