OKLAHOMA CITY - When the Mid-America Christian University men's basketball team met John Brown University on the road in January, it was the Evangels who got off to a fast start, and they rode that momentum to an upset victory. On Thursday night, MACU started slowly, and the 23rd-ranked Golden Eagles seized control early on and never let go.
MACU (16-11, 9-10 SAC) endured a scoring drought of more than four minutes late in the first half that allowed JBU (19-8, 13-6 SAC) to open an 18-point lead, and JBU held off a pair of challenges from the Evangels in the second half to take the win, 83-67.
MACU led twice early after made 3-pointers from Javan Perry and Anthony Black, but JBU reclaimed the lead with 16:38 to play in the opening half and they led the rest of the way. JBU shot the ball at a 60% clip in the first half, and they out-rebounded the Evangels 20-8 in the first half. The Golden Eagles broke the game open late in the first half during a 4:31 stretch of play where MACU missed six straight shots and committed a turnover while JBU scored 14 consecutive points. MACU did cut slightly into the deficit before the half, trimming the deficit to 43-29 at intermission.
MACU opened the second half on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 43-39 in less than three minutes at the beginning of the second half, but JBU responded and held the lead. The Evangels ratcheted up the defensive pressure, and a a result, The Evangels,though, started to scuffle, and JBU regathered their footing to stop the Evangels short of tying the score. Later in the half, JBU put the game away with a 9-0 run that gave them a 63-45 lead, and the 18-point margin equalled the largest lead of the night, and JBU cruised home with the 83-67 win.
Anthony Black led the Evangels with 17 points, and he was joined in double-figures by Charles Beauregard, Jr. who had a dozen. Beauregard, Jr. also led the Evangels with five rebounds, and Khalil Thompson dished out four assists.
MACU made 21 of 51 (41.2%) shots in the game, 10 of 23 (43.5%) 3-pointers, and 15 of 24 (62.5%) free throws.
MACU will leave the Oklahoma City metropolitan area for the final time in the regular season on Saturday when they head to Muskogee, Oklahoma to take on the Bacone College Warriors (2-22, 0-19 SAC). The game is scheduled to tip-off at 4 p.m.
