CHICKASHA, Okla. – The Mid-America Christian men's basketball team gave No. 8 Science & Arts all it could handle on Tuesday night inside the USAO Fieldhouse, but the Evangels had their opportunity at a potential game-winner blocked and then an equalizer sail long as the Drovers escaped with an 80-77 win.
 

STAT LEADERS

• Terrance Jones – 21 PTS, 6-12 FG, 2-4 3FG, 7-8 FT, 5 REB, 2 BLK
• Tony Dorsey – 15 PTS, 5-13 FG, 4-6 3FG, 5 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK
• Derrick Magiya – 9 PTS, 3-4 FG, 2-3 3FG, 4 REB

 

GAME SUMMARY

• 1^st Half
  • Mid-America Christian (7-3, 3-2 SAC) opened the contest with an 8-2 run as three-pointers on back-to-back possessions by Derrick Magiya and Terrance Jones gave the Evangels a six-point cushion just two minutes in.
  • The Evangels maintained that edge over the next few minutes before Science & Arts (12-2, 7-2 SAC) went on an 11-2 run to claim a 15-12 lead with 12:02 to go.
  • MACU was able to keep it to within two at the midway point, but the Drovers pushed their lead out to as much as nine by utilizing an 8-1 run over a three-minute stretch, setting the score to 29-20 with 6:36 remaining.
  • After MACU's Jasiah Lewis and USAO Gerrard Makuntae traded threes on consecutive possessions, the Evangels rattled off seven unanswered as a Magiya free throw brought it to a two-point game at 32-30 with 3:20 left.
  • The Evangels closed it to within one at 34-33 on a Jasiah Lewis three from the left wing at the 2:47 mark, but the Drovers finished the half by scoring five of the last seven to take a 39-35 advantage into the break.
• 2^nd Half
  • The Evangels trimmed the deficit early on a Magiya triple from the top of the key with 19:05 on the clock to make it 39-38, but the Drovers scored the next five to push their lead back out to six at 44-38 with 17:36 to go.
  • Trailing by five four minutes in, the Evangels made their move, rattling off eight of the next 10 points behind a pair of Dominick Ford free throws to tie it followed by Tony Dorsey's second three-pointer of the run to give MACU its first lead since early in the second half, 49-48 with 13:33 remaining.
  • The two teams ended up exchanging the lead nine times as well as tied it three times before USAO's Tre'Veon Ellis got a bucket to start a Drovers 7-1 run to bring the score to 69-64 with 5:13 left.
  • Science & Arts maintained a five-point advantage for the next few minutes before MACU took advantage of opportunities from the foul line as Jones and Malik Malone each knocked down a pair to close the gap to 78-77 with 1:55 remaining.
  • The Evangels had a chance to take a lead with five seconds left, but Jones' layup was blocked by USAO's Gerrard Makuntae, forcing MACU to foul with three seconds left.
  • Mid-America Christian had one last chance to tie after USAO's Cameron Hines made a pair of free throws to make it 80-77, but Dominick Ford's three-point heave from the right side at the buzzer sailed just long.

 

GAME SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian could only muster 23-of-59 (39 percent) shooting against the Drovers, but did efficiently make 12-for-28 (42.9 percent) from three-point range and knocked down 19-for-24 (79.2 percent) from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, USAO finished 30-of-73 (41.1 percent) from the floor, 9-for-26 (34.6 percent) from three and made 11-of-13 (84.6 percent) from the foul line.
• The Drovers dominated the rebounding margin by a 45-32 edge while also winning the turnover margin by a slim 12-10 margin.
• Senior forward Terrance Jones notched his third straight 20-plus point game and his fourth in the last five contests with 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 2-for-4 from three and 7-for-8 from the free throw line while also ripping down five rebounds and blocking two shots.
• Tony Dorsey was the only other MACU player to break double-figures, scoring 15 points on 5-of-13 from the field, but went 4-for-6 from three-point range while dishing out a team-high five assists to go with four rebounds, two steals and a block.
• The Drovers snapped MACU's three-game win streak, which included two consecutive on the road. It was the second time the Evangels lost to USAO this season after dropping a 76-69 non-conference defeat inside the Gaulke Activity Center back on Jan. 7.

 

NEXT UP

• Mid-America Christian will close out its four-game road stand at Langston on Thursday night. Tip-off is slated for 7:45 p.m. inside C.F. Gayles Fieldhouse in Langston, Oklahom