OKLAHOMA CITY - Thursday night was a historic one for the Mid-America Christian University women's basketball team. The Evangels witnessed two players etch their names in the MACU women's basketball record books, and the Evangels ran their winning streak over Central Christian College of Kansas to 10 games.
Shaylan Coleman posted the first triple-double in the NAIA era of MACU women's basketball, and Alexis Shannon became the second player to eclipse the 1,000-point threshold since MACU joined the NAIA, and MACU (16-7, 10-7 SAC) bombarded CCCK (2-21, 1-15 SAC) 108-58.
MACU got off to a slow start as CCCK opened a 6-0 lead, and MACU had to battle to get back into the game. The Tigers led by as many as seven in the opening quarter, but MACU mounted a 13-2 run to take a 19-15 lead and the Evangels never looked back. MACU kept the pedal to the metal, and the Evangels opened a 26-18 lead at the end of one quarter.
MACU quickly opened their lead to double digits, and midway through the frame, the Evangels took command with a 14-0 run that put them up 51-27. One more 8-0 run from MACU opened the margin to 59-31 at the half.
After a slow first half, Shannon came alive in the third quarter. She scored six of the Evangels first eight points as MACU opened the half on another 8-0 run, and with 2:44 to play in the period, Shannon capped an 11-point quarter with a pair of free throws to push her over the 1,000 career point mark. She now has 1,001 career points, and she is 10th on MACU's all-time scoring list. She passed 1997 graduate Jennifer Lewis with the second free throw, and she is just 14 points in back of Sarai Rodriguez - the only other NAIA era player in the group.
In the fourth quarter, Coleman made her history. With 2:40 to play in the game, She drove into the lane and kicked a pass out to Shelby Thrailkill on the right wing. Thrailkill buried her second 3-pointer of the game, and the assist gave Coleman the triple-double. It marked the first time that a MACU player posted such an effort since the NAIA era began in the fall of 2007.
From there, all that was left to determine was the final score.The Evangels' lead reached as many as 52 in the game, and MACU took the win 108-58.
Coleman tied for the game lead with 16 points, and she added 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Jennah Coffman also scored 16 points in the game, Nevada Denton posted 14, Shannon added 13, and Darby Price chipped in 10. Coleman also added a pair of steals and four blocks in the win.
MACU made 37 of 73 (50.7%) shots in the game, and 10 of 22 (45.5%) from long range. The Evangels were also 24-for-28 (85.7%) from the foul line, and the Evangels dominated the rebounding battle, out-boarding the Tigers 55-38.
The Evangels will finish a stretch of eight games in 16 days on Saturday afternoon when they host the Langston University Lions (8-16, 3-13 SAC) at 2 p.m.
