MCPHERSON, Kan. – For this second time in two weeks, the Mid-America Christian University women's basketball team had an opportunity to defeat an opponent for a third time during the season on Friday evening as they battled the Southwestern Christian University Eagles in the 2018 NCCAA central region championship game.
Unfortunately for the Evangels, the result this time was the same as it was during their first such opportunity.
MACU (21-11) turned the basketball over 18 times in the contest, and Southwestern Christian (13-17) took advantage to the tune of a 10-point advantage in points off turnovers, and the Eagles won the game and the region championship, 76-66. The win secures the Eagles the Central Region's automatic qualifier to the NCCAA Division I National Championship at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana next week.
The first quarter was a nip and tuck affair. Neither team led by more than two points in the frame, and there were three lead changes and four ties in the quarter. With 10 seconds to play in the period, Chelseah Savage knocked down a pair of free throws to pull MACU even, and after 10 minutes, the score was tied at 11.
MACU quickly took the lead in the second period, and a 9-0 run for the Lady Evangels helped MACU stretch their lead to 23-13 with 6:27 to play in the first half. MACU still led 29-22 with 2:32 to play, but SCU closed the half on a 9-0 run, and at the break, MACU trailed 31-29.
MACU quickly reclaimed the lead on a second chance bucket from Ossyana Ozoani with 8:34 to play in the third frame, but SCU surged back ahead just seconds later, and the Eagles did not trail again in the quarter. SCU led by as many as six, but when the period ended, the Lady Evangels has closed the gap to one at 53-52.
In the fourth quarter, MACU kept the game close, but they were unable to get the game tied, and with 3:53 to play, SCU went on a run that put the game out of reach. The Eagles scored nine straight points in the span of just under two minutes to take a 74-61 lead, and from there, they ran out the clock, taking the 76-66 win.
Alexis Shannon led the Lady Evangels with 19 points and nine rebounds, and Nevada Denton scored 15 points and had six boards, three assists, and three steals. The Lady Evangels made 24-of-56 (42.9%) shots in the game, but only 5-of-21 (23.8%) from long distance. At the foul line, Mid-America was 13-for-19 (68.4%) for the game.
MACU must now wait to see if they will be offered an at-large berth to the National Championship. The national quarterfinals slated to be played on Wednesday, March 14.
