Men's Basketball 1/15/2021 11:54:00 AM Adam Stanek - MACU Sports Information

Men’s Basketball Ready For SAC Home Opener Against Langston

OKLAHOMA CITY – The No. 14 Mid-America Christian men's basketball team will be looking to avoid its first three-game losing streak since 2019 as the Evangels will host Langston (Okla.) in their first Sooner Athletic Conference home game of the 2020-21 season. MACU is scheduled to tip-off against the Lions at 3:45 p.m. inside the Gaulke Activity Center.

LAST TIME OUT
Mid-America Christian suffered a heartbreaking defeat in its SAC opener at Southwestern Christian on Monday. After missing the potential game-winning shot at the buzzer, the Eagles jumped out to a fast start in overtime and never trailed as SCU held on to hand the Evangels an 80-77 defeat inside Pickens-Springer Gymnasium.

The Evangels continued to struggle on the offensive end, mustering just 23-of-68 (33.8 percent) shooting, 10-for-28 (35.7 percent) from three and 21-of-31 (67.7 percent) from the foul line.

Terrance Jones led all Evangels with a career-high 25 points and ripped down a team-leading six rebounds, while Dominick Ford chipped in 14 points and four boards. Omar Boone and Jasiah Lewis rounded out MACU's double-digit scorers with 10 points apiece.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
After electing to opt out during the fall portion of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Langston officially opened its season with a SAC home matchup against No. 12 Science & Arts on Thursday. Despite hanging with the Drovers in the first half, trailing by three at the halftime break, the Lions couldn't slow down red-hot USAO in the second half as the Drovers ended up cruising to an 85-64 victory.

Junior guard TaMarcus Butler led LU in his first game with the Lions, scoring 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting and went 3-for-5 from behind the three-point arc. Junior guard Elloheim Clark pitched in 14 points on 6-for-11 from the field to go with a team-high four assists while also leading the squad's defensive efforts with four steals. Senior forward Jamal Clifton commanded the Langston rebounding efforts with eight boards in the defeat.

HISTORY WITH THE LIONS
Since the two teams started the series in 2013, Mid-America Christian has dominated the first 10 matches, winning the first nine matchups. MACU swept the season series during the 2019-20 campaign, topping the Lions 92-65 at the Gaulke Activity Center on Nov. 21, 2019 before wrapping up SAC play with a 75-69 victory in Langston on Feb. 29, 2020.

MAKING A LIVING AT THE LINE
Even though the Evangels were unable to get a win in Bethany, Oklahoma on Monday, one bright spot for MACU was the ability for senior guard Terrance Jones to get to the free throw line. His 20 attempts in the matchup shattered the program's NAIA era single game record held by Semar Farris, who attempted 17 against Northwood (Texas) on Jan. 2, 2014. The Dallas, Texas native converted 14 of those 20 attempts, which matched Farris for the second-most made in a game, sitting just one back of MACU Player of Decade Charlie Shorter's mark of 15 notched on Nov. 19, 2012 against the Drovers. In just 36 games with the Evangels, Jones is putting up unprecedented free throw numbers as he is just 12 makes away from breaking into the top 10 of MACU's NAIA era record book for career made free throws.

HOPEFUL AT HOME
Mid-America Christian will be looking to get back on the winning track at home against Langston. Since joining the Sooner Athletic Conference in 2007, the Evangels have been victorious in nine of their 13 SAC home openers, including winning the last eight. In last season's SAC home opener, the Evangels cruised to a 92-65 win over Langston, which included scoring 50 points in the second half. MACU will also be looking to avoid back-to-back home losses since 2019 when the Evangels lost three straight against Wayland Baptist, Oklahoma Panhandle State and Texas Wesleyan from Jan. 24-31.

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