OKLAHOMA CITY - Big efforts from Alexis Shannon and Darby Price helped lead the Mid-America Christian University women's basketball team to a hard-fought victory at home on Saturday afternoon.
Shannon posted her second straight double-double, and Price put up a season high 19 points and was one rebound away from her second double-double, as MACU (9-2, 3-2 SAC) out-lasted Southwestern Christian University (5-6, 2-3 SAC) 76-65 to resume Sooner Athletic Conference play.
SCU scored first, and they led 6-4 early in the first quarter, but that's when Shannon began to assert herself. The junior from Noblesville, Indiana scored 10 points for MACU in the first quarter. MACU led for most of the frame, but the Eagles kept things close. The lead changed hands seven times in the opening 10 minutes, and the score was tied an additional four times, but when the period ended, MACU led 24-21.
A traditional 3-point play from Jessica Fairley stretched the Evangels' lead to 31-25 at the 7:09 mark of the second frame, and though SCU pulled within a single bucket twice, MACU did not relinquish the lead again. Sydney Wycoff hit a big 3-point shot to extend the MACU lead to five, and a long 2-point jumper from Shaylan Coleman pushed the advantage to 10 for the first time at 42-32 with 2:10 remaining in the half. At intermission, MACU led by nine, 46-37.
Shannon connected on a pair of free throws to open the second half scoring, but a 10-4 SCU spurt closed the gap to five at 52-47 with 6:23 left in the third. MACU stretched the lead back to nine, but SCU answered with six more points in a row to trim the deficit to 56-53 with 2:17 left in the frame. Price and Wycoff scored the next five points, and heading into the fourth quarter MACU led 61-55.
Another 3-pointer from Wycoff early in the fourth period gave MACU a 68-55 lead - their largest of the game to that point, and Avery Gregory put an exclaimation point on the game with another long range connection with 4:17 to go in the game. SCU managed to trim the lead to eight one more time, but MACU scored five of the final seven points of the day to claim the 76-65 win.
Shannon led all scorers with 26 points and she also grabbed 12 boards. Price added a career-high 19 in the game, and she scored those points on 8-for-10 shooting , while also grabbing nine rebounds. Coleman and only two points, but she grabbed five rebounds, she dished out five assists, and she picked up three steals.
MACU made 30 of 66 (45.5%) shots in the game, which included a 6 of 23 (26.1%) effort from long distance. At the foul line, MACU was 10-for-14 (71.4%). The Evangels also held a commanding 51-30 edge on the glass, which led directly to a 28-10 advantage in second chance points. MACU also out-scored SCU 23-8 off the bench, 22-19 off turnovers, and 38-26 in the paint.
MACU will remain at home, and they will host the University of Science & Arts (6-7, 1-4 SAC) on Tuesday night at the Gaulke Activity Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
