OKLAHOMA CITY - A fast start and a season-high from Alexis Shannon helped the Mid-America Christian University women's basketball team win their fourth straight game on Saturday. As the game was winding down, MACU got a little bit of help, and the Evangels moved into sole possession of third place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings.
MACU (14-4, 8-4 SAC) scored 34 points in the first quarter, and Shannon put up a season-best 29 - which included her 900th career point - as the Evangels dispatched with the Oklahoma Panhandle State University Aggies (9-10, 5-8 SAC) 87-77.
OPSU started quickly, taking an early 6-2 lead, but MACU answered emphatically. Beginning with a 3-point play from Shannon, the Evangels rattled off 17 straight points to take a 19-6 lead with 5:46 to play in the opening quarter. The lead reached as many as 16 points in the opening frame, when Shaylan Coleman scored on a made free throw with 1:50 to play in the period, and after 10 minutes, MACU led 34-23.
MACU opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run, and the Evangels appeared to be on their way to a blowout victory, but OPSU began to battle back. A 7-0 run from OPSU closed the gap to 15 at 45-30 with 3:09 to play in the half, but MACU scored five of the final eight points of the half, and the Evangels led 50-33 at intermission.
OPSU whittled away at the deficit in the third quarter, but the Evangels were able to stabilize the margin through the third frame, taking a 67-55 lead to the final frame. After MACU scored the first five points of the final period, OPSU put together a 7-0 run to close the gap to eight for the first time since the 6:06 mark of the first quarter, but MACU answered with six straight points to take a 78-64 lead. One final charge from the Aggies cut the deficit to seven with 2:27 to play, but MACU held their ground, and the Evangels took the win 87-77.
The win, coupled with losses by John Brown University and Wayland Baptist University, helped MACU climb into sole possession of third place in the SAC with only 10 games remaining in the regular season.
Shannon finished with a season-high 29 points and 10 rebounds to notch her fifth double-double of the season. Shannon scored her 900th career point early in the third quarter as well, becoming the third player in the NAIA era of MACU women's basketball to eclipse 900 career points, joining Ashlee Ferguson (998, 2013-15) and April Hale (978, 2007-11).
Jessica Fairley scored 18 points in the game, and Coleman and Sydney Wycoff added a dozen apiece in the contest. Wycoff and Coleman each handed out four helpers on the afternoon, and Shannon picked up a quartet of steals.
As a team, MACU made 30 of 70 (42.9%) shots from the floor, and 7 of 20 (35%) from long distance. At the charity stripe, MACU made 20 of 28 (71.4%) attempts, and the Evangels out-rebounded OPSU 45-41.
MACU will head across town for a game against NAIA #12 Oklahoma City University (18-2, 11-1 SAC) in a game that was postponed from January 3 due to snow. The game is slated to commence at 6 p.m.
