LANGSTON, Okla. - As the game wore on at Langston University on Thursday night, the depth advantage enjoyed by the Mid-America Christian University women's basketball team over the host Langston Lady Lions became increasingly apparent. By the end of the fourth quarter, the Evangels had energy left in the tank, while the Lady Lions were completely spent.
MACU (11-4, 4-4 SAC) had four players score in double figures, and the Evangels outscored Langston (8-10, 3-7 SAC) 38-8 off the bench, as the Evangels gutted out an 83-75 win at C.F. Gayles Field House.
The game was close from the outset, as Langston and MACU traded the lead twice in the first quarter, and the score was tied on four other occasions. Shaylan Coleman scored the first seven MACU points, including a 3-pointer that gave the Evangels their first lead ofthe night, but MACU was unable to shake Langston early. The Lady Lions rallied to claim a pair of four point leads in the period, and after 10 minutes of play, Langston led the game 19-17.
The Evangels began to rachet up the pace in the second frame. The teams combined to score nearly 50% more points combined in the second frame as in the first period, but again, neither team was able to shake free of the other. There were nine ties and eight more lead changes in the second stanza, but a fast break basket from Akia Frett gave Langston a 46-43 lead at the break.
In the third quarter, though, MACU turned the game on its head.
The Evangels stifled the Lady Lions on the defensive end of the court, holding Langston to 4-for-15 shooting with seven turnovers in the the third frame, and on the other end, the Evangels took full advantage. Jennah Coffman buried a 3-pointer with 7:43 left in the frame to cap off a 7-0 run to start the period, and that was just the beginning. MACU put together a 9-2 spurt to push their lead to 59-50, and with 34 seconds to play in the frame, Nevada Denton buried a 3-pointer and sank one of two free throws after a technical foul was assessed on Langston to give MACU their largest lead of the night at 67-54.
The pace slowed considerably in the fourth frame. While MACU protected the lead, which led to more clock ticking away, Langston seemed content to try and play a slow down style as well, and early in the quarter it was working. A 9-3 stretch helped the Lady Lions close the gap to four points at 75-71, but the Evangels allowed them to get no closer. Shannon and Coffman made six of their seven combined free throws in the final minutes, and the Evangels held off the Lady Lions, 83-75.
Shannon led the Evangels with 18 points in the game, and she also grabbed four rebounds and had a pair of assists. Denton finished the night with 16 points, and Coffman and Ossyana Ozoani added 13 points apiece in the win. Sydney Wycoff grabbed a team-leading five rebounds and added five assists as well.
In the game, MACU made 28 of 60 (46.7%) shots from the field, and 6 of 18 (33.3%) from long range. At the foul line, MACU scuffled a bit, making only 21 of 32 (65.6%) charity tosses.
The Evangels will head north on Saturday to do battle in McPherson, Kansas. MACU will tip-off against Central Christian College (2-15, 1-9 SAC) at 2 p.m.
