CHICKASHA, Okla. - Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra was famous for his ability to turn a phrase, including the phrase, "it ain't over till it's over." Never was that phrase better demonstrated than on Tuesday night in the Mid-America Christian University men's basketball team's Sooner Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinal matchup with the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma.
MACU (20-11) led for a total of only 6:57 in the game, but thanks to a tip-in from Justin Bogle with 2.7 seconds left in the game, the Evangels were able to bounce the NAIA #22 Drovers (22-10) from the SAC Championship 75-74.
MACU struck first on a 3-pointer from Dominick Ford put MACU on top 3-0, but USAO answered immediately with an 11-1 run to take the lead. USAO stretched their lead to 11 twice, and MACU found itself playing from behind. The Evangels whittled away at the margin, eventually drawing level at 24 on a triple from Charles Beauregard, Jr. The game remained close for the remainder of the half, and at the intermission, MACU held a slim lead, 40-38.
Britt Hammons opened the second half scoring with a putback to push MACU's lead to four points, but USAO put together an 11-0 run to take the 49-42 lead with 17:35 to play in the game. MACU battled to keep the score close, but USAO managed to inch out to a 71-62 lead with 7:04 to go in the game.
At that point, MACU's defense began to take control. The Evangels held USAO to 1-for-7 shooting with a couple turnovers and only one made free throw in the final seven minutes of the game, and MACU mounted one last surge. The Evangels pulled to within six on a 3-pointer from Beauregard with 5:27 to go. With 2:59 showing on the clock, Ford connected on a pair of free throws to pull MACU within three. Javan Perry made three of four free throws in the final 2:45, but it was a free throw miss from Perry with 22 seconds to play that led to USAO getting a pair of tries to stretch out their 74-73 lead.
Two different Drovers missed the front end of a 1-and-1 situation, and the second time, William Gibbons secured the rebound and Josh Gamblin called a timeout with 15 seconds to play. Gamblin drew up the play for Anthony Black, who got free along the left baseline for an attempted bank shot that missed, but Bogle was there to clean up the rebound with a tip-in that went through the net with 2.7 seconds left in the game.
USAO took a timeout, and they got a desperation shot off at the buzzer, but it was wide to the left, and the buzzer sounded with the ball still in the air as MACU claimed the 75-74 win.
Black led all scorers with 20 points in the game, including a 7-for-11 performance from beyond the arc. He was joined in double-figures by Daniel William (16) and Beauregard, Jr. (12). Beauregard also had a team-high six boards in the win, and Perry dished out four assists.
MACU made 26 of 66 (39.4%) from the floor, including 12 of 32 (68.8%) from the foul line.
MACU's win advanced them to SAC Semifinal where they will meet up with the #18 Golden Eagles of John Brown University (22-9) in the SAC semifinal. The game will take place at Abe Lemons Arena at Oklahoma City University, and it is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m.
