OKLAHOMA CITY – With the conclusion of the Sooner Athletic Conference basketball regular seasons on Sunday afternoon, the Mid-America Christian University basketball teams now know officially where and when their journeys to the NAIA Division I National Championships will begin.
The MACU women (20-9) will open their postseason run at home on Tuesday night, hosting the John Brown University Golden Eagles (18-11) at 6 p.m.; while the men (18-11) will make a short trip across town as the seventh-seed to take on SAC Co-Champions and second-seeded Oklahoma City University (22-7) at 8 p.m.
MACU will host JBU for the second time this season. The Evangels swept the season series from the Golden Eagles with wins at John Brown on January 20 and at MACU on February 8. The Evangels had four players average scoring in double-figures in the two games, led by Alexis Shannon's 21.5 points per game in the two contests. Jessica Fairley scored an average of 14 points in the two games, Chelseah Savage averaged 13.5, and Jennah Coffman averaged 10 in the two games.
The biggest advantage for the Evangels, statistically, in the two games came in their ability to get to the free throw line. MACU made 21-of-29 (72.4%) charity tosses in the two games, while JBU attempted only 11 free throws in those two games, making seven (63.6%).
The rest of the women's bracket will feature matchups that were also season series sweeps. The SAC regular season champions from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (26-4) will host eighth-seeded Southwestern Christian University (11-16) in Chickasha, Oklahoma on Tuesday at 7 p.m.; and the winner of that game will be scheduled to meet the winner of the game at MACU on Friday in the SAC Semifinal. The other side of the bracket features a pair of 6 p.m. games as No. 7 Bacone College (16-13) will travel to No. 2 Oklahoma City University (25-5), and the sixth-seed Southwestern Assemblies of God University Lions (9-11) will stay in the Lone Star State and head to Plainview, Texas to take on No. 3 Wayland Baptist University (23-5).
On the men's side, the loss on Saturday dropped MACU to the seventh seed in the Tournament, however, they will make the shortest possible trip in the conference. MACU will head to Abe Lemons Arena in downtown Oklahoma City to take on the Stars of OCU in a rubber match for the season set. MACU won the season opener at the Gaulke Activity Center on December 2 77-70, but OCU answered and defended their home court with an 83-69 win on February 3.
Three Evangels averaged in double-figures against the Stars over the two games – Javan Perry and Justin Bogle with an 11 points per game average, and Jordan Rhodes who averaged 10.5 – and three others played in one of the two games and scored in double digits. Unfortunately for MACU, of those three players, only Chinua Massena – who scored 17 points at OCU – will be available to MACU for Tuesday night's semifinal.
The teams were nearly identical statistically in the two games in most categories, but one area where OCU had a decided edge was in forcing turnovers. MACU coughed up the basketball a total of 30 times in the two games, while OCU only gave away possession 18 times.
The other game on MACU's side of the bracket in the quarterfinal round will feature the 3-6 matchup with Wayland Baptist (21-8) hosting USAO (21-9) at 8 p.m. The other side of the bracket will see Co-Champion and top-seeded Texas Wesleyan University (21-9) hosting John Brown (16-13) at 7 p.m., and SAGU (21-9) welcoming Southwestern Christian (18-12) to Waxahachie, Texas at 7 p.m.
The semis and finals of both tournaments will take place at Bill George Arena on the John Brown campus on Friday and Saturday, March 2-3. Times of the individual semis and finals will be set by the SAC office after the conclusion of the quarterfinal round. JBU will be providing full coverage on both Championships, with tournament pages for both the women's and men's tournaments available on the JBU website. Live coverage links for all games will be posted on the tournament pages, and all semis and finals will be streamed live over the JBU Athletics Network.
