OKLAHOMA CITY - In the first half of the Mid-America Christian University women's basketball game against Texas Wesleyan University on Thursday night, the Evangels struggled to find a way to exploit the Rams' defense. In the third quarter, though, the Evangels found the answer, as senior Shaylan Coleman took over the game.
Coleman scored 11 points in the third quarter alone, and MACU (15-5, 9-5 SAC) turned a halftime tie into an 8-point lead headed to the final period as the Evangels downed Texas Wesleyan (10-12, 8-6 SAC) 72-60.
Texas Wesleyan quickly built a 16-9 lead with 2:39 to go in the first quarter, but MACU rallied to tie the score at 18 on a traditional 3-point play from Ossyana Ozoani. Both teams had a shot to take a lead in the final seconds of the frame, but neither was successful, and as the game headed to the second quarter, MACU and Texas Wesleyan were tied at 18.
Texas Wesleyan scored first in the second frame, but the Evangels were able to hang close. MACU tied the score twice in the period, but the Evangels were unable to take a lead, with their best chance to do so coming at the second quarter buzzer when a 3-point basket from Alexis Shannon was waved off for a traveling violation, and at the break, the score was tied at 31.
After the Rams struck first in the third period, MACU finally surged in front. A 3-pointer from Jennah Coffman tied the score at 34 and ignited a 7-0 MACU run as the Evangels took the lead, 38-34 on buckets from Coleman and Ozoani. In the quarter, Coleman routinely gashed the Rams defense with her quickness, and the MACU lead swelled to as many as 12 in the quarter before Texas Wesleyan closed the gap to 51-43 heading to the final frame. The Evangels continued to ride that momentum in the fourth quarter, building their lead to as many as 15 points on their way to the 72-60 win.
Coleman tied for the game high with a 20-point night, and she added six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocked shots. Alexis Shannon scored 15 points in the game, and she grabbed a game high 11 boards to notch her third straight double-double, which was her seventh of the season, and Nevada Denton added 14 points in the game.
MACU made 27 of 53 (50.9%) shots in the game, and 5 of 15 (33.3%) from long range. At the foul line, MACU was 13-for-20 (65%), the Evangels out-rebounded the Rams 39-30, and MACU led in all five enhanced scoring categories.
MACU will hit the road on Saturday, leaving the state of Oklahoma for the final time in the regular season. MACU will head to Waxahachie, Texas to take on the Southwestern Assemblies of God Lady Lions (15-7, 9-5 SAC) at 2 p.m. The two teams are currently tied for third in the Sooner Athletic Conference race with nine games remaining in the season.
