The Lowdown: Southwestern Assemblies of God University @ Mid-America Christian University
Time: Feb. 18 @ 3 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 moved into a three-way tie for fourth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 74-69 victory over Southwestern Christian University Thursday night (Feb. 16). The fourth spot in the SAC is critical, as the top four seeds in the league will host a SAC Tournament quarterfinal game
With the Evangels up one at the half, SCU came out of the locker room on fire as Maranda Janz nailed two threes and Eliora Johnson fired in another for a 9-2 spurt that had the Lady Eagles up six at 44-38.
From there, MACU tightened the screws defensively and went on a 17-3 burst to take their biggest lead to that point of 55-47 with 1:20 left in the third.
After SCU came within 55-52 going to the fourth, Jessica Fairley opened the period with five straight points before treys from Mikki Flores and Sarai Rodriguez resulted in the Evangels' largest lead of the night at 66-55 with 5:30 remaining.
The Lady Eagles didn't go quietly as five points from Janz and a three from Johnson carried an 8-0 run that made it a three-point game with 1:19 left.
But the Evangels had an answer as Fairley found Brittany Thompson inside for a layup and following a defensive stop, Flores stepped to the line and hit two crucial free throws for a 70-63 lead with 29 seconds left.
MACU then got two free throws each from Rodriguez and D'Shala Powell to seal the win.
Rodriguez has been the offensive catalyst for the Lady Evangels, whose 20.6 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 70 threes and is second on the team with 97 assists on the season. She is fourth in the NAIA in free-throw percentage (.861) and ninth in threes per game (2.8).
Mikki Flores is second in scoring with 12.4 ppg and is third in the conference and sixth in the NAIA in assists per game (5.5 apg).
Jamie Lamb is scoring 9.8 ppg and Brittany Thompson leads the Lady Evangels in rebounding with 7.1 boards per game.
As a unit, the Lady Evangels are sixth in the NAIA in total rebounds per game (45.1), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (30.0) and ninth in scoring offense per game (79.4).
The Dish on the Lady Lions: The Southwestern Assemblies of God University Lady Lions have lost three straight and are 10-14 overall, with a 3-12 mark in the SAC.
SAGU has two players averaging double-doubles this season, led by Charity Page's 17.2 ppg and 11.0 rpg. Laken Ward is also recording a double-double of 12.1 ppg and 10.8 rpg along with a team-high 61 assists.
The top two rebounders in the SAC, Page is sixth in the NAIA in offensive rebounds per game (4.2) and seventh in total rebounds per game (11.0 rpg). Meanwhile, Ward is sixth in the NAIA in defensive rebounds per game and also ranks 10th in total rebounds per game (10.8 rpg).
The Series: MACU is 6-4 vs. SAGU after winning the first matchup on the road this season. The Evangels are 3-2 at home against the Lady Lions, but SAGU has won the last two meetings inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
Boarding School: This matchup will feature the two top individual rebounders in the SAC against the best team rebounding unit. The Lady Lions have the top-ranked rebounders in Charity Page (11.0 rpg) and Laken Ward (10.8). But MACU leads the SAC in total rebounds per game (45.1).
The Coaches:
Hannah Moeller has begun her first season 17-9 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.
Tiffany Phillips is in her second season at the helm of the Southwestern Assemblies of God University Lady Lions. Phillips took over for Arlon Beadles, who spent 10 years at SAGU.
Up Next: The Lady Evangels will hit the road for the final time in the 2016-17 regular season when they will play at St. Gregory's University next Thursday evening (Feb. 23) at 6 pm in Shawnee, Okla.
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