OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian women's basketball team will be seeking a win in its final home game of 2019 as the Evangels will host Kansas Wesleyan for a New Year's Eve battle at 3 p.m. inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
LAST TIME OUT
Mid-America Christian (8-2, 3-0 Sooner Athletic Conference) picked up a crucial 75-73 overtime victory at the University of Science and Arts back on Dec. 13 to snap a three-game losing streak to the Drovers. The Evangels led by as much as 10 in the contest and held an eight-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter, but USAO fought back to take a 51-48 lead with 3:17 remaining.
Senior forward Loralei Siliga came up big on back-to-back possessions, knocking down a layup and a three-pointer in-between a pair of Drovers free throws to tie the score at 53. Senior guard Rachel Tapps came up with a big steal on the ensuing possession and senior forward Alexis Shannon knocked down 5-for-6 from the foul line over the final 1:13 to give MACU a 58-56 edge. However, USAO's Kaitlyn Johnson knocked a game-tying layup with six seconds to go and the Drovers blocked Shannon's potential game-winner to force an overtime period.
Junior guard Aaliyah Endsley gave MACU an immediate spark with scores on consecutive possessions to open the extra session as the Evangels built as large as a 73-66 lead with 26 seconds remaining before eventually holding on for a two-point win.
SCOUTING THE COYOTES
Kansas Wesleyan enters the Tuesday afternoon contest with an 11-3 record and a 7-2 mark in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference play. The Coyotes won their seventh straight with a 79-62 victory over Southwestern College on Dec. 14.
KWU is one of the top teams in the NAIA from the free throw line, ranking sixth in the league at 77.4 percent while ranking 12th in three-point shooting at 36 percent.
Leading four Coyotes in double-figures is senior forward Amanda Hill, tallying 17.1 points per game on a 52.8 percent shooting clip, including 52.5 percent from the three-point arc and a perfect 18-for-18 from the foul line. Sophomore forward Kelcie Hinz is one of the most productive bigs in the NAIA, averaging 15.5 ppg and 11 rebounds per game to go with 22 blocked shots.
Senior guard Kayla Valin leads three KWU players with more than 30 assists with a team-high 37 while Haleigh Bradford leads the Coyotes defensive efforts with 29 steals.
HISTORY WITH THE COYOTES
Mid-America Christian has won four of the last five against the Coyotes and are 2-1 in the NAIA era. In last season's meeting in Salina, Kan. on Dec. 28, 2018, the Evangels came away with a thrilling 74-72 road victory. Shannon led the Evangels with a double-double in the victory, tallying 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting to go with 11 rebounds.
SILIGA STEPPING UP
In the win over the Drovers, Siliga put together one of her finest games in an Evangels uniform, scoring a career-high 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting while knocking down a career-best 3-for-5 from behind the three-point arc. The Oakland, Calif. native was coming off a previous career-best of 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting against Nebraska Christian on Dec. 3. By leading the Evangels to the big win, Siliga became the Evangels' first Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the 2019-20 season.
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The Evangels will be happy to be home for their New Year's Eve bout as MACU holds a perfect 5-0 record inside the Gaulke Activity Center this season. Mid-America Christian's last home win came against Nebraska Christian as the Evangels outscored the Sentinels 45-21 in the second and third quarters to pull away with the 83-51 win. In MACU's five home games this season, the Evangels are averaging 93.8 ppg while limiting the competition to just 63.6 ppg. The MACU defense has been stifling inside the Gaulke Activity Center, holding opponents to just 37.8 percent shooting and forcing 24.2 turnovers per game.
