OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian women's basketball team will be officially beginning its pursuit towards repeating as the Sooner Athletic Conference champion as the Evangels will tip off the 2021-22 season on Saturday against Ozark Christian. Tip-off is officially slated 2 p.m. tip-off inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
 
MACU SEASON PROFILE

• 2020-21 Record: 9-3 (6-0 SAC)
• Last Game: Lost vs. Columbia (Mo.) – 85-83 – Mar. 12, 2021 – Park City, Kan. (NAIA Opening Round)
• Top Returners:
  • Lexi Hernandez – SR – G
    • 207 Points (17.3 ppg), 75-150 FG (50.0 FG%), 30-72 3FG (41.7 3FG%), 27-34 FT (79.4 FT%), 65 Rebounds (5.4 rpg), 50 Assists (4.2 apg), 39 Steals (3.3 spg)
  • Presley Payahsape – SR – F
    • 187 Points (15.6 ppg), 68-155 FG (43.9 FG%), 28-63 3FG (44.4 3FG%), 56 Rebounds (4.7 rpg), 18 Assists (1.5 apg), 12 Steals (1.0 spg)
  • Ossyana Ozoani – SR – F
    • 105 Points (13.1 ppg), 42-71 FG (59.2 FG%), 67 Rebounds (8.4 rpg), 13 Steals (1.6 spg)
• Top Newcomers:
  • Abby Bird – SR – F – Baker (Kan.)
    • Scored 1000 points in three seasons at Baker
    • Three-time All-Heart of America Conference honoree
    • Averaged 13.4 ppg on 40.3 percent shooting, 83.3 percent from the free throw line and averaged 5.7 rpg, 1.9 apg and 1.3 spg.
  • Kaylee Hurst – JR – G – Oklahoma Baptist
    • Competed in 21 games, making one start for NCAA Division II Oklahoma Baptist. Averaged 3.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg and finished with 18 assists to go with 18 steals
    • At NOC-Enid during freshman season, averaged 15.0 ppg on 47.6 percent shooting, 45.5 percent from three and 74.4 percent from the foul line. Also averaged 4.4 rpg, 2.7 apg and 1.4 spg.
• Team Notes:
  • Last season during the heavily impacted COVID-19 campaign, Mid-America Christian wrapped up the season with a 9-3 overall record and went 6-0 in Sooner Athletic Conference play to earn a share of the program's first ever league title.
  • The Evangels were selected to their first ever NAIA Tournament Opening Round, as MACU narrowly missed advancing to the second round after putting together a big fourth quarter rally before falling to Columbia (Mo.) 85-83.
  • Mid-America Christian boasted the second-best scoring offense in the NAIA last season, averaging 90.7 ppg while also ranking second in three-point shooting percentage (40.7) and fifth in total field goal percentage (46.9).
  • MACU returns its top four scorers from a year ago, headlined by NAIA All-American Honorable Mention and the NCCAA Player of the Year in Lexi Hernandez. The Evangels also return All-SAC Second Team honoree Presley Payahsape as well as one their top inside players in Ossyana Ozoani.

SCOUTING REPORT
Ozark Christian (Mo.)

• 2020-21 Record: 17-13
• Last Game: Lost vs. Maranatha Baptist (Wis.) – 77-73 – Mar. 12, 2021 – Joplin, Mo. (NCCAA DII National Championships)
• Series vs. MACU (2003-Present): MACU leads 6-1
• Last Game vs. MACU: MACU won 92-57 – Dec. 9, 2006 – Oklahoma City (Gaulke Activity Center)
• Top Returners:
  • Kamryn Gentry – JR – C
    • 468 Points (15.6 ppg), 191-334 FG (57.2 FG%), 75-115 FT (65.2 FT%), 508 Rebounds (16.9 rpg), 91 Assists (3.0 apg), 43 Blocks (1.4 bpg), 37 Steals (1.2 spg)
  • Makenzie Purinton – JR – G
    • 241 Points (10.5 PPG), 82-220 FG (37.3 FG%), 27-85 3FG (31.8 3FG%), 50-80 FT (62.5 FT%), 89 Assists (3.9 apg), 43 Steals (1.9 spg)
  • Peyton Miller – SR – G
    • 260 Points (8.7 ppg), 104-233 (44.6 FG%), 30-74 3FG (40.5 3FG%), 192 Rebounds (6.4 rpg), 101 Assists (3.4 apg), 40 Steals (1.3 spg)
• Team Notes:
  • Ozark Christian is coming off a 17-13 season during the 2020-21 campaign and made an appearance in the NCCAA Division II National Championships.
  • The Ambassadors ranked sixth in NCCAA Division II in scoring average at 67.2 ppg and eighth in scoring defense at 66.5 ppg.
  • OCC brings back a big portion of its lineup, including NCCAA DII Second Team All-American Kamryn Gentry.
  • The Evangels and Ambassadors will renewing their rivalry as they will be competing against each other for the first time since MACU moved up to the NAIA and NCCAA Division I levels. MACU went 6-1 against Ozark Christian between 2003 and 2006 with their last meeting coming on Dec. 9, 2006 as the Evangels came away with a 92-57 victory at the Gaulke Activity Center.