CHICKASHA, Okla. ? The Mid-America Christian University women's basketball team entered their game on Monday night in search of a win to get back on the right track before they play their first home game of 2018. It took most of the night, but MACU rallied late to snap a two game skid.
MACU (10-6, 4-4 SAC) erased a 4-point deficit in the final quarter to take down the University of Science & Arts (Okla.) Drovers (14-3, 6-2 SAC) 75-70.
MACU opened the game on a 10-5 run, but USAO rattled off nine straight points to take a 14-10 lead with 3:30 to go in the quarter. A 3-pointer from Nevada Denton cut the margin to one, but USAO closed the frame on a 6-1 run and after 10 minutes, the Drovers led 20-14.
A triple from Shaylynn Bass at the 6:31 mark of the second quarter pushed the Drovers' lead to 10 at 28-18, but MACU battled back. An 8-2 run with long range makes from Denton and Chelseah Savage helped the Lady Evangels close the gap to 32-28, and at the break, MACU trailed 34-28.
MACU opened the second half on a 9-4 spurt, and Jessica Fairley buried a 3-pointer with 5:37 to go in the game, and though USAO stretched their lead back to seven points twice in the frame, the Lady Evangels continued to whittle away at the deficit, and after three the Drovers led 51-47.
MACU quickly tied the game in the fourth when Denton connected from deep again to square the game at 54 with 7:58 to play. Savage knocked in a long range shot just over a minute later to put MACU on top for the first time since the first quarter, but the Drovers battled back to take the 66-62 lead before Fairley connected again from deep to knot things at 66. With 2:25 to play, Savage made a shot to put MACU up for good, and the Lady Evangels pulled away to the 75-70 win.
Denton led all scorers with 22 points in the game, and Fairley added 16 in the win. Shannon scored 12 points, and Savage chipped in 10 as four Lady Evangels broke into double-figures. Shannon and Fairley posted a team-leading seven rebounds, and Savage notched six assists. MACU made 26-of-60 (43.3%) shots in the game, including 10-of-24 (41.7%) from beyond the arc. MACU did struggle at the foul line in the game, making only 13-of-25 (52%) foul shots in the contest.
MACU will return home to the Gaulke Activity Center for the first time in 2018 on Thursday evening when they welcome the Bacone College Warriors (11-5, 3-4 SAC) to Oklahoma City. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 6 p.m.
