The Lowdown: Southwestern Christian University @ Mid-America Christian University
Time: Feb. 16 @ 6 p.m.
Location: Gaulke Activity Center, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Live Video:
Live Stats:
The Dish on the Evangels: The Mid-America Christian University Women's Basketball Evangels head into the final four regular season games of the 2016-17 season at 16-9 overall and 7-7 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
Sarai Rodriguez has been the offensive catalyst for the Lady Evangels, whose 20.9 points per game leads the team and ranks second in the SAC and third in the NAIA. Rodriguez has earned three National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Player of the Week awards along with one OklahomaSports.Net honor this season.
Rodriguez has also hit a team-high 68 threes and is second on the team with 91 assists on the season. She is fourth in the NAIA in free-throw percentage (.860) and ninth in threes per game (2.8).
Mikki Flores is second in scoring with 12.2 ppg and is third in the conference and sixth in the NAIA in assists per game (5.6 apg).
Jamie Lamb is scoring 9.8 ppg and Brittany Thompson leads the Lady Evangels in rebounding with seven boards per game.
As a unit, the Lady Evangels are fifth in the NAIA in total rebounds per game (45.1), eighth in defensive rebounds per game (30.0) and ninth in scoring offense per game (79.6).
The Dish on the Lady Eagles: The Southwestern Christian University Lady Eagles have won three straight and four of five overall to check in at 13-11 and 5-9 in the SAC.
Eliora Johnson leads SCU in both points (14.9 ppg) and rebounds (8.8 rpg), while Maranda Janz is right behind at 14.8 ppg. Andi McGill has recorded a team-best 105 assists on the season.
Janz is also fourth in the NAIA in threes per game (3.0).
The Series: The Evangels are 5-6 against SCU since joining the NAIA, with a 3-2 mark at home. MACU has won the last two matchups, defeating the Lady Eagles 84-58 in the SAC Tournament quarterfinals last year and then securing a 70-54 win on the road in the first meeting this season (Jan. 26).
Thrice as Nice: This matchup will feature two of the top 10 three-point shooters in the NAIA in the Evangels' Sarai Rodriguez and SCU's Maranda Janz.
Janz ranks fourth nationally in threes per game (3.0), with Rodriguez at ninth (2.8).
The Coaches:
Hannah Moeller has begun her first season 16-9 as head coach of the Mid-America Christian University women's basketball program, including matching the team's best-ever 10-game start as an NAIA school at 9-1.
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.
Mark Arthur is in his second season at the helm of the Southwestern Christian University Lady Eagles. Although it's just his second year as the women's basketball head coach, Arthur is very familiar with the SCU campus. He has worked for the University in some capacity since 1991 and currently serves as the VP of Intercollegiate Athletics. Arthur was also the SCU men's basketball coach for 20 years and won 404 games before stepping down after the 2011-12 season.
Up Next: The Lady Evangels will remain at home and host Southwestern Assemblies of God University Saturday afternoon (Feb. 18) at 3 pm inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
Evangels on Social Media: Follow all the happenings of MACU Athletics on Facebook and Twitter!
Catch the Evangels On the Air: All MACU men's and women's home basketball games are LIVE at the link below. Click HERE to tune in to Alex Freedman (also the voice of the OKC Dodgers) to call all the action!
