OKLAHOMA CITY - It's rare to see a basketball player make a bigger impact on a game than Mid-America Christian University's Justin Bogle did on Wednesday night. The junior from Brooklyn, New York made his presence felt all over the floor, and MACU was able to snap a breif two game skid in their final home non-conference game of the season.
Bogle had a double-double with 10 points, and a program NAIA-era record 17 rebounds as the Evangels (6-3) cruised to a 107-61 win over the Ecclesia College Royals (0-14).
The game was close early, and Ecclesia took a pair of four point leads early. The lead changed hands 12 times in the first half, and the score was tied five times as well. With 7:21 to play, Ecclesia held a 25-24 lead, but that is when MACU began to take over. Anthony Black scored with 6:25 to go in the half, and that ignited a 13-0 run that saw MACU make 5-of-7 shots over a 3:31 span to break the game open. After a bucked from Ecclesia's Joey Gobert with 2:01 to play, MACU scored the final four points of the half, and at intermission, MACU led 42-27.
MACU opened the half on an 18-6 run that helped put the game away early in the second half. Five different Evangels scored during the span, as the MACU lead swelled to 27. From that point, the result was academic, as MACU continued to pour on the offense, eventually pulling out to a lead as large as 47 on their way to the 107-61 win.
Bogle had four assists and three blocked shots in the game to go along with the afore mentioned double-double. The 17 rebounds broke the NAIA-era single game MACU record, which had been held by George Haynes and Angelo Lewis who each had a 16-rebound game. Haynes did it on March 4, 2010 in the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament at Southern Nazarene University, and Lewis did it in a 76-72 home win over Rogers State University on February 7, 2013.
Cade Upshaw posted a season-high 17 points to lead the Evangels' offense in the game, and he was one of six players in double figures. Anthony Black chipped in 16, Daniel William added 14, Charles Beauregard, Jr. scored 13, and Bogle and Britt Hammons each posted 10. Black dished out four assists and four steals in the game, and William had a pair of blocks.
MACU will step out of regular season play on Saturday for an exhibition game. The Evangels will head south to San Antonio, Texas for a game against the UTSA Roadrunners (2-6). The game will tip-off on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
