KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced its Division I men's basketball All-America Teams on Thursday as senior guard/forward Ashford Golden was a First Team honoree while junior guard Terrance Jones was tabbed to the Honorable Mention list.
After being named an NABC/NAIA First Team All-American, Golden was also an overwhelming selection for the NAIA's All-America list after putting together one of the best all-around seasons in program history.
Golden is the third NAIA First Team All-American in program history, joining Semar Farris who was a First Team honoree in 2015 and Charlie Shorter following the 2012-13 campaign.
The 6-6 combo guard/forward closed out the season with 551 points (17.2 points per game), the seventh-most in a single season since MACU moved up to the NAIA level before the 2007-08 season.
The local Oklahoma City native was an all-around great shooter for the Evangels, knocking down 46.3 percent of his shots from the field, 41.6 percent from the three-point arc and 81.4 percent from the free throw line, the fifth-best clip in a season during the NAIA era.
Golden's 221 rebounds (6.9 rebounds per game) and 33 blocked shots not only led the team, but we're also the fifth-best marks in the MACU record books during that time frame.
It is yet another accolade to Golden's sensational season after also being named the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Player of the Year and First Team selection as well as the NCCAA Central Region Player of the Year and First Team honoree.
Golden was just one of two players in the Sooner Athletic Conference to be named a unanimous All-SAC First Team selection after being the only player in the league to finish in the top five in points (551, 5th), rebounds (221, 3rd) and blocked shots (33, 2nd).
Jones closed out his junior campaign with one of the most prolific shooting seasons during the NAIA era. The Dallas, Texas product averaged 13.8 ppg on 56.7 percent shooting from the field, which set the third-best single season shooting clip in the NAIA era for players that made 100 or more field goals.
The 6-5 guard also shot 36.4 percent from the three-point arc while efficiently knocking down 108-of-141 (76.6 percent) from the free throw line.
Jones was also the Evangels top offensive rebounder, ripping down 52 boards on the offensive side while ranking second on the team overall at 5.8 rpg. Jones also was one of the Evangels top defenders, ranking second on the team with 34 steals and blocked 15 shots.
Jones was one of MACU's top offensive performers late in the season, as he scored 20 or more points in the final five games of the campaign, including a career-best 24-point performance against Central Christian on Feb. 27.
