OKLAHOMA CITY – The No. 2 Mid-America Christian men's basketball team picked up right where it left off last season as the Evangels put together a dominant offensive performance in a 108-73 victory over Manhattan Christian (Kan.) in the team's season-opener at the Gaulke Activity Center on Saturday afternoon.

 
TOP PERFORMERS

• Malik Malone – 20 PTS, 8-12 FG, 2-2 3FG, 2-2 FT, 11 REB, 2 AST, 2 BLK
• Caleb Riggs – 17 PTS, 6-7 FG, 5-5 3FG
• Jasiah Lewis – 15 PTS, 5-9 FG, 3-6 3FG, 4 REB, 2 AST
• Omar Boone – 10 PTS, 4-4 FG, 1-1 3FG, 1-1 FT, 7 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL

 

GAME SUMMARY

• 1^st Half
  • Mid-America Christian (1-0) got off to a fast start, opening the game with a seven unanswered run as an Omar Boone and-one finished it off just 4:09 into the contest.
  • Manhattan Christian (0-3) kept it to within single digits until a Malik Malone spin-move layup followed by back-to-back three-pointers splashed by Caleb Riggs expanded the MACU lead to 25-9 with 10:36 remaining.
  • The Evangels continued to build upon its lead late in the first half as MACU utilized a late 8-0 run on a pair of Malone scores and another Riggs three-pointer to take its largest lead of the half at 54-28 with only 33 seconds remaining.
  • The Thunder were able to knock down a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining to send MACU into the halftime break with a 54-28 advantage.
• 2^nd Half
  • After the Thunder cut into the Evangels lead within the first 2:11 to bring the score to 59-35, junior guard Jasiah Lewis caught fire for MACU hitting a pull-up midrange jumper followed by back-to-back three-point buckets on the ensuing Evangels possessions. Toni Kumanovic capped the 11-2 run with a triple off a Malone kickout to set the score to 70-37 with 15:50 to go.
  • Manhattan Christian's offense gained some momentum midway through the second half, outscoring the Evangels 17-11 over the seven-minute stretch to close the gap to 81-54 with 8:28 on the clock.
  • Marvin Lowe, Carlos Slaughter and Damarius Brooks were able to swing the momentum back into the Evangels' favor as the three combined to score all 12 of MACU's points during a 12-2 run to stretch the MACU edge back to 93-56 with 5:40 remaining.
  • Mid-America Christian closed out strong as Trey Johnson scored six points in the final two minutes and Tarrence Gaines got an offensive rebound and putback with 34 seconds left to help the Evangels wrap up the 108-73 win.

 

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian won its 12^th straight season-opener while also getting its fifth consecutive win over Manhattan Christian at the Gaulke Activity Center.
• The Evangels were nearly unstoppable on the offensive end, going 41-of-63 (65.1 percent) from the field, 14-for-22 (63.6 percent) from the three-point arc and 12-of-16 (75 percent) from the free throw line. Meanwhile, MACU defensively held the Thunder to only 22-for-66 (33.3 percent) shooting, which included going 13-for-38 (34.2 percent) from beyond the arc and shot 16-for-23 (69.6 percent) from the foul line.
• MACU dominated on the glass, outrebounding MCC by a 45-26 margin.
• In his Mid-America Christian debut, redshirt junior forward Malik Malone was stellar off the Evangels bench, recording a double-double with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting to go with 11 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
• Junior guard Caleb Riggs also impressed in his MACU debut, notching 17 points in just 16 minutes, which included going 5-for-5 from three-point land.
• Junior guard Jasiah Lewis and senior guard Omar Boone also had solid first games with the Evangels, as Lewis recorded 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go with four rebounds and a pair of assists. Boone led the MACU passing efforts, scoring 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting to go with a team-high seven assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals.
• MACU mainstays Carlos Slaughter and Damarius Brooks also finished in double-figures, scoring 12 and 10 points respectively.

 

NEXT UP

• Mid-America Christian will be back in the Gaulke Activity Center on Nov. 5 as the Evangels will host Sooner Athletic Conference rival Wayland Baptist in a non-conference matchup. Tip-off is slated for 7:45 p.m.