OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian women's basketball team officially announced its 2020 signing class on Wednesday as the Evangels will be bringing in six high school and collegiate standouts to compete for the 2020-21 season.
The Evangels are coming off their fourth consecutive 20-win season after completing the 2019-20 campaign with a 21-11 record and went 12-8 in Sooner Athletic Conference play to finish fourth in the league standings.
MACU had once again locked up a spot in the NCCAA National Championship Tournament by receiving the Central Region automatic berth. However, the Evangels pursuit for a third consecutive NCCAA National Championship came to an unfortunate end when the national tourney was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is a deep and talented class that will mesh incredibly well with our returning players," said MACU Head Coach Hannah Moeller. "This group of young ladies will be fantastic representatives of our university and a great fit for the culture of our program. My staff and I are very excited to coach each of them."
Highlighting the 2020 class is a pair of transfers from NCAA Division II Northwestern Oklahoma State in guard McKenzi Lamer and forward Presley Payahsape.
A 5-8 guard from Loyal, Oklahoma, Lamer averaged 8.4 points per game and made a team-leading 63 three-pointers for the Rangers last season, shooting a blistering 38.2 percent from behind the arc. Lamer was one of just six players to appear in all 28 games for NWOSU, averaging 21.5 minutes per game.
Payahsape is a 5-9 forward from Cashion, Oklahoma who saw action in all 28 games for Northwestern Oklahoma, making 14 starts in the process. Payahsape averaged seven points per game on a 41.1 percent shooting percentage while knocking down a team-best 83.8 percent from the foul line and ripped down 2.8 rebounds per game.
The Evangels will be adding some strong size in its front court with the addition of Redlands Community College transfer Christina Jenkins. The 6-0 forward from Lawton, Oklahoma played a pivotal role in leading the Cougars to a Bi-State Conference Championship after finishing the year with a 24-6 record overall and a 12-4 mark in conference play. Jenkins averaged 11 ppg on 47.7 percent shooting from the field and 81.2 percent from the charity stripe while ripping down 5.3 rpg.
MACU will have three strong incoming freshman, spearheaded by Emmy Colin. A 5-7 guard from Joplin, Missouri, Colin was a multiple award recipient for College Heights Christian School. On top of being named the Ozark 7 Player of the Year, Colin was also named the conference's Tracy Prigg Female Athlete of the Year, as well as the Joplin World Female Athlete of the Year. Colin helped lead the Cougars to a district championship during her senior campaign, ending the year with a 21-4 record.
A 6-0 forward from the state of Texas, Sydney Savage will look to add depth to the MACU front court. Competing for Lewisville High School, Savage helped lead the Farmers to three straight 19-plus win seasons, including a 21-11 and 10-3 record within the district during the 2017-18 season. Savage was a Second Team All-District honoree last season while also earning All-District Honorable Mention accolades in volleyball as well.
Rounding out the 2020 signing class is a local standout in Shelby Kraus. A 6-0 forward from Moore, Oklahoma, Kraus competed for Westmoore High School, where she helped lead the 2017-18 squad to a 20-5 overall record and a 11-2 mark to win the Central Oklahoma District Championship.
