Men's Basketball 1/11/2021 9:56:00 AM Adam Stanek - MACU Sports Information

Men’s Basketball Set To Face Southwestern Christian In SAC Opener

OKLAHOMA CITY – The No. 3 Mid-America Christian men's basketball team will be looking to bounce back from its first loss of the season on the road in Bethany, Oklahoma to take on crosstown rival Southwestern Christian in its Sooner Athletic Conference opener on Monday. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. inside Pickens-Springer Gymnasium.

LAST TIME OUT
In a matchup of undefeated teams, the Evangels faced Science & Arts in a rescheduled non-conference game at the Gaulke Activity Center on Thursday, Jan. 7. The Evangels got off to a strong start, leading by as much as nine at 25-16 midway through the first half. However, the Drovers were able to take all of the momentum by stringing together a 20-4 run through a 6:30 stretch to take a 43-35 lead before moving into the half with a 44-37 edge.

USAO led the entirety of the second half, but a pair of Omar Boone free throws made it a one-possession at 72-69 with 51 seconds remaining. However, the Drovers' Elvin Rodriguez made the biggest play of the game with 24 seconds left when he was able to drive down the right side for a dunk with the shot clock winding down to make it a two-possession game. USAO got a stop on the ensuing possession and converted a pair of free throws to ice the game at 76-69.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Since a season-opening win against Bacone (Okla.) on Nov. 2, Southwestern Christian (1-3) has dropped three straight with the last two losses coming at the hands of Science & Arts. The Eagles took on the Drovers in their conference opener on Saturday, falling 90-69 at Pickens-Springer Gymnasium.

While they missed the last game against USAO, the Eagles offense is led by forwards Ron Washington and Luis Machado Jr., averaging 19.7 points per game and 19.3 ppg respectively. Guard Khristien White led the shorthanded Eagles in their last game, scoring 20 points while averaging 16.8 ppg for the season.

Washington is SCU's top rebounder at 7.7 rpg while Jordan Williams is the team's top distributor with 13 assists (3.3 apg). White is also the team's best on-ball defender with five steals while York Benjamin leads the shot-blocking efforts with five.

HISTORY WITH THE EAGLES
Since both teams joined the Sooner Athletic Conference, the Evangels hold a 12-7 edge in the series after their NCCAA rivalry was renewed during the 2011-12 campaign. Mid-America Christian is currently on a four-game win streak against SCU, taking all three of their matchups during the 2019-20 season. In their last meeting in the SAC Quarterfinals on Mar. 3, MACU was able to stave off a late run to secure an 89-82 victory at the Gaulke Activity Center. Terrance Jones scored 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting with six rebounds in the victory.

In their last meeting in Bethany, the Evangels won a tight contest as Jones buried a pair of late free throws with 14 seconds left to secure the 94-89 win. Jones led the way with 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting and went 8-for-11 from the free throw line with eight boards.

BOUNCING BACK
Mid-America Christian will be looking to rebound from only its second regular season loss in the last two seasons and its first home loss since Feb. 14, 2019. Last Thursday, the Drovers snapped the Evangels' 21-game home win streak that was started with an 80-70 senior night victory over No. 18 Oklahoma City on Feb. 23, 2019. The Evangels went a perfect 17-0 inside the Gaulke Activity Center during the 2018-19 campaign and won their first three contests at home during the fall portion of the 2020-21 season.

SUITING UP FOR THE SOONER
MACU will be aiming for its seventh victory in its Sooner Athletic Conference opener in the last nine seasons. Since the start of the 2012-13 campaign, the Evangels have posted winning records in conference play in eight of those campaigns, which included winning the league's regular season championship in 2015 (14-4) and 2020 (19-1). In last season's conference opener, the Evangels dominated Langston in a 92-65 win at the Gaulke Activity Center on Nov. 21, 2019.

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