OKLAHOMA CITY - The Mid-America Christian University men's basketball team put together a furious rally in the second half of their game against the College of the Ozarks (Mo.) Bobcats on Saturday afternoon. MACU erased a 12-point halftime deficit to claim the lead with just over five minutes remaining in the contest, but the comeback was not to be.
MACU (4-1) shot the ball at a 54% clip in the second half, outscoring Ozarks (5-3) in the second frame, but the Bobcats finished the game on a 20-8 run to claim a 104-94 win and hand MACU their first loss of the season.
MACU scored first in the game, but following a pair of Ozarks buckets, the Bobcats took the lead, which they would hold for the rest of the first half. The Bobcats blistered the nets in the first half, shooting nearly 53% from the floor, 60% from long range, and 7-for-7 from the foul line in the period. A 9-0 run early in the half pushed the Ozarks lead to 10, and it remained in double-digits for most of the remainder of the half. The Evangels cut the deficit to three points with a 14-5 run that pulled MACU to within 41-38, but C of O finished the half on an 11-2 run to take a 52-40 halftime lead.
The Bobcats stretched their lead to 57-42 in the opening minute of the second half, but MACU began to rally. A 6-0 spurt from the Evangels cut the margin to 63-56, and after the lead stabilized for a couple minutes, MACU continued the surge. a 13-4 run from the Evangels that spanned just over three minutes allowed MACU to tie the game at 73 - the first tie of the game. C of O took a 5-point lead, but a pair of buckets from Dominick Ford got the Evangels level for a second time, and with 5:13 to play, Charles Beauregard, Jr. sank a pair of free throws to give MACU an 86-84 lead.
Unfortunately for MACU, the Bobcats responded with a 9-0 run, as MACU had four straight empty trips and C of O opened a 94-86 lead. MACU was unable to get closer than six in the final two minutes, and the Bobcats claimed the win 104-94.
Beauregard led MACU with 24 points, and Ford and Anthony Black each chipped in 18 tallies. Justin Bogle led the Evangels with eight rebounds and three blocked shots, and Black had three assists and three steals.
As a team, MACU shot 48.7% (39-for-80) in the game, and 26.1% (6-for-23) from long distance. MACU was 10-for-13 (76.9%) from the foul line.
The Evangels will be back in action on Saturday, November 24, when they host the Sentinels of Nebraska Christian College (3-3) . The game will tip-off at 3 p.m.
