WAXAHACHIE, Texas - The Mid-America Christian University women's basketball team entered the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinal with the goal of making a run in the tournament to potentially secure their first ever berth to the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship. Unfortunately for MACU, in heartbreaking fashion, that run came to an end.
Lexi Rich hit a 3-pointer for SAGU (21-10) with one second remaining to give the Lady Lions the 73-70 win over MACU (20-9).
Ossyana Ozoani got the Evangels on the board first, but the game remained tight throughout the first period. The game was tied four times in the frame, and there were six lead changes as the teams fought for positioning early on. Alexis Shannon hit a late three pointer, and Loralei Siliga followed with a bucket of her own as MACU took a 16-13 lead late in the frame, but with 12 seconds to go, Rich knocked in a triple to tie the score at 16 after 10 minutes of play.
The shot turned the momentum toward SAGU, as the Lady Lions opened the second quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 24-16 lead, but MACU whittled the margin down to two points on a pair of Jessica Fairley free throws with 5:16 to go in the first half. SAGU answered with another 8-0 run to take a 36-26 lead with 2:33 remaining before halftime, but MACU closed the gap to three with a 7-0 run that sent the game to the locker room with the Lady Lions in the lead, 36-33.
Shaylan Coleman tied the score at 43 on a 3-point play with 6:15 to play in the third quarter, and with 4:54 left in the stanza, MACU took the lead on a bucket from Siliga. SAGU answered with an 11-1 run to take a 56-48 lead late in the frame, but the Evangels closed the margin to 56-55 before a pair of free throws gave SAGU a 58-55 lead headed to the final frame.
The final period was a nip and tuck affair, but MACU was never able to take the lead away from SAGU. The Lady Lions were unable to stretch their lead out though, as MACU kept the margin within a single score throughout the period. The Evangels tied the game six times in the fourth frame, the last of which came on a Nevada Denton 3-pointer with 10 seconds to play that tied the game at 70. After a timeout from SAGU, the Lady Lions turned to Rich who connected from deep to give SAGU the 73-70 lead with just one second remaining. Shannon got off a desperation heave at the buzzer, but it went begging, and the Lady Lions took the 73-70 win to advance to the SAC semifinal.
Shannon led the Evangels with 17 points in the game, and Siliga poured in 13. Coleman and Denton each scored 10, and Coleman had eight rebounds and seven assists as well.
MACU made 22 of 62 (35.5%) from the floor, and six of 24 (25%) from long distance. MACU made 20 of 27 (74.1%) free throws in the game as well.
The loss ends MACU's NAIA postseason run, but the Evangels will be back in action next week at home. MACU will host the NCCAA Central Regional Tournament on March 6-7 at the Gaulke Activity Center, where MACU will be the top seed in the tournament. SAGU is also slated to participate if they do not qualify for the NAIA Championship, as are Southwestern Christian University (10-18) and Nebraska Christian College (15-12. The schedule will be finalized and annouced following the SAC Championship run for SAGU comes to a close.
