WINFIELD, Kan. - In the first quarter of their game at Southwestern College on Wednesday evening, the Mid-America Christian University women's basketball team allowed 29 points to the Moundbuilders. The Evangels bounced back, though, and held Southwestern to just 41 points the rest of the night.
MACU (2-0) held Southwestern (0-1) to 13-for-39 shooting over the final three quarters, including just 2-for-9 from long range, as the Evangels pulled away to an 88-70 win in their first road game of the season.
Southwestern opened the game on a 10-4 run, and after MACU tied the score at 14, the Builders reclaimed the lead and they led for the rest of the quarter. A free throw from Charon Cheatham pushed the lead back to six at 24-18 with 1:48 to play in the period, and when the final horn sounded on the opening frame, the Builders led 29-24.
MACU turned the game on it's head in the second quarter. The Evangels opened the second quarter with four straight points, but Southwestern quickly rebuilt a 35-30 lead with 7:50 to go in the first half. It was at that point that the MACU defense began to take control. The Evangels forced 11 straight empty possession from the Builders, and MACU rattled off 14 straight points to take a 44-35 lead, and MACU never looked back. The Evangels held Southwestern to 4-for-12 shooting with 12 turnovers in the second quarter, and at the half, MACU led 47-39.
Southwestern closed the gap to four early in the third quarter, but a steal and a 3-pointer from Sydney Wycoff pushed MACU's lead to 10 for the first time at 57-47 with 5:50 to go in the quarter. With 2:45 left, Southwestern's London Futch knocked down a three to cut the Evangels' lead to five at 61-56, but a 6-2 spurt from MACU to end the quarter gave MACU a 67-58 lead with 10 minutes to go.
MACU scored the first dozen points of the final quarter to effectively put the game away. Avery Gregory scored with 2:36 to put the Evangels up 22 at 86-64, and the Evangels closed out the win 88-70.
Alexis Shannon led all scorers with 17 points in the game, and she added eight rebounds. Darby Price poured in 14 in the win, and she led the way on the glass with nine boards. And Wycoff and Shaylan Coleman each had 11, and they contributed six assists and four assists, respectively. MACU made 35-of-86 (40.7%) shots in the game, including 7-of-22 (31.8%) from deep. The Evangels also hit 11-of-18 (61.1%) from the foul line, and MACU out-rebounded Southwestern 47-37.
MACU will return home on Monday evening to play host to the Crusaders of Dallas Christian College (0-0) at 6:30 p.m.
