OKLAHOMA CITY – History was made at the Gaulke Activity Center on Thursday evening, as the Mid-America Christian University women's basketball team became the first team to host Central Christian College (Kan.) in a Sooner Athletic Conference game. The Lady Evangels dominated the contest in every facet of the game, and as a result, they opened conference play on the right foot.
MACU (5-2, 1-0 SAC) made nearly twice as many shots as the Tigers (1-8, 0-1 SAC), and the Evangels scored nearly as many points in the paint as the Tigers did in total, as MACU cruised to a 108-63 win to open the conference season.
Mykala Flores found Alexis Shannon for the first two baskets of the game, and that set the tone for the Evening. The two combined to score the first nine points of the night for MACU, and when Jennah Coffman scored at the 6:22 mark of the first half, the Evangels took their first double-digit lead at 15-5. MACU added another 12-0 run later in the quarter, and at the end of the first, the Lady Evangels led 32-13. The pace slowed a bit in the second quarter, but MACU continued to add to the lead, building their advantage to 58-28 at the halftime break.
The story was similar in the second half, as MACU opened the third quarter on a 16-5 run to push their lead to 41 at 74-33 with 5:08 remaining in the period. The lead eventually reached 47 in the quarter, and at the end of the frame, MACU led 85-41. The Lady Evangels capped the game off in the fourth quarter, stretching their margin to as many as 54 in the final frame, and at the end of the night, MACU walked off the court with a 108-63 victory.
Shannon posted her second double-double of the season, scoring 28 points to lead all scorers and grabbing 10 rebounds in the game. Ossyana Ozoani chipped in 15 points and nine boards, Nevada Denton added a dozen, and Flores posted nine points and a career-high 12 assists.
MACU shot 41-for-95 (43.2%) in the game, though they converted just 8-of-30 (26.7%) 3-point attempts. The Lady Evangels were 18-for-21 (85.7%) from the foul line, and they grabbed a whopping 70 rebounds. MACU also held advantages in every scoring breakdown, outscoring Central Christian 23-6 on the fast break, 24-8 off turnovers, 62-20 in the paint, 21-10 on second chances, and 36-6 off the bench.
MACU will be back in action on Saturday for one of their stiffest tests of the season, when they welcome the defending NAIA National Champion Oklahoma City University Stars (6-2, 0-0 SAC). The Lady Evangels will host top-ranked OCU on Saturday at 3 p.m.
