OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU women's basketball team is ready to host four games inside the Gaulke Activity Center this weekend as the Evangels are hosting John Brown, Oklahoma Wesleyan and Evangel (Mo.) on Friday and Saturday. The Evangels will take on Evangel in the 7 p.m. contest on Friday night before wrapping up the event with a 2 p.m. game against Oklahoma Wesleyan.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 2-0
• Last Game: Won at Oklahoma Baptist – 58-41 – Nov. 7, 2022 – Shawnee, Okla. (Exhibition)
• Stat Leaders:
  • Points: Jaci Littell (19), Shy Christopher (17), Whitney Outon (13)
  • FG (M-A, %): Shy Christopher (6-9, 66.7), Jaci Littell (4-11, 36.4), Whitney Outon (4-11, 36.4)
  • 3FG (M-A, %): Shy Christopher (2-3, 66.7), Jaci Littell (2-5, 40)
  • FT (M-A, %): Jaci Littell (9-10, 90), Whitney Outon (4-4, 100), Shy Christopher (3-4, 75)
  • Reb: Jaci Littell (6), Tyaija Coleman (6), Ashley Hopper (6)
  • Assists: Sydney Wycoff (6), Shy Christopher (2), Ashley Hopper (2)
  • Steals: Jaci Littell (3), Four Tied (1)
  • Blocks: Whitney Outon (3), Aneli Thomsen (1)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian is coming off an incredible defensive performance in an exhibition win at NCAA Division II Oklahoma Baptist on Monday. In the 58-41 win, the Evangels held the Bison to just four points in the fourth quarter, outscoring OBU 20-4 to run away with the win.
  • For the second straight contest, Jaci Littell led the MACU offensive efforts with 18 points, shooting 7-for-16 from the field to go with four rebounds.
  • Whitney Outon came up huge for MACU in the victory as she narrowly missed a double-double with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting and yanked down eight rebounds to go with four blocked shots.
  • The Evangels defense stymied the Bison, holding OBU to just 13-of-42 (31 percent) from the floor, including 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) from the three while forcing an astounding 28 turnovers. Shy Christopher and Sydney Wycoff were especially big on the defensive end as each came up with five steals.

SCOUTING REPORT
Evangel (Mo.)

• Record: 0-2
• Last Game: Lost at Oklahoma Wesleyan – 84-79 – Nov. 5, 2022 – Bartlesville, Okla.
• Series vs. MACU (2019-): MACU leads 1-0
• Last Game vs. MACU: MACU won 89-86 (OT) – Nov. 1, 2019 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Players to Watch:
  • Sophie Sparks – SR – G
    • 25 Points (12.5 PPG), 8-16 FG (50.0 FG%), 3-8 3FG (37.5 3FG%), 6-8 FT (75.0 FT%), 8 Reb (4.0 RPG) 6 Assists (3.0 APG), 4 Steals (2.0 SPG)
  • Micah Clayton – SO – F
    • 23 Points (11.5 PPG), 10-14 FG (71.4 FG%), 3-5 3FG (60.0 3FG%), 7 Reb (3.5 RPG), 5 Assists (2.5 APG), 2 Steals (1.0 SPG)
  • Alexis Roach – SR – G
    • 20 Points (10.0 PPG), 8-15 FG (53.3 FG%), 3-4 FT (75.0 FT%), 5 Reb (2.5 RPG)
• Team Notes:
  • Evangel had a tough opening to the season at the OKWU Classic last weekend as the Valor suffered an 87-72 defeat to Friends (Kan.) on Nov. 4 before blowing a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter to suffer an 84-79 loss to Oklahoma Wesleyan the following day.
  • The Valor feature a balanced offensive lineup with five different players averaging more than 7.0 points per game, headlined by Sophie Sparks with a team-high 25 points (12.5 ppg) while shooting 50 percent from the field and an effective 37.5 percent from the three-point arc.
  • Sophomore forward Micah Clayton has also been tough to stop in the low post as she is efficiently shooting 71.4 percent from the field and also has been tough from beyond the arc by going 3-for-5 (60 percent) from range.
  • EU has struggled on the defensive end as opponents are shooting 50 percent from the field, which includes 41.9 percent from the three-point arc. However, Evangel has been imposing on the glass, outrebounding its opponents 70-51, which includes an astounding 27-9 on the offensive glass.
  • Mid-America Christian and Evangel have met just one time in the two programs' respective histories. In their lone meeting back on Nov. 1, 2019 inside the Gaulke Activity Center, MACU battled back from a late four-point deficit as Loralei Siliga got the bucket with 1:13 remaining to close the gap to two before Alexis Shannon buried a pair of clutch free throws with 47 seconds to go to tie it up at 77 to force the game to overtime. In the extra session, Siliga made the go-ahead layup once again with 55 seconds left before Shannon scored a crucial insurance bucket on the ensuing possession to secure the 89-86 victory.

 
Oklahoma Wesleyan

• Record: 1-1
• Last Game: Won vs. Evangel (Mo.) – 84-79 – Nov. 5, 2022 – Bartlesville, Okla.
• Series vs. MACU (2003-): MACU leads 4-2
• Last Game vs. MACU: MACU won 102-93 – Oct. 23, 2020 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Players to Watch:
  • Cierra Johnson – SR – G
    • 29 Points (14.5 PPG), 10-21 FG (47.6 FG%), 6-17 3FG (35.3 3FG%), 3-3 FT (100 FT%), 3 Assists (1.5 APG)
  • Jessa Gilyard – FR – G/F
    • 28 Points (14.0 PPG), 9-16 FG (56.3 FG%), 3-9 3FG (33.3 3FG%), 7-7 FT (100 FT%), 16 Reb (8.0 RPG), 6 Assists (3.0 APG), 7 Steals (3.5 SPG), 2 Blocks (1.0 BPG)
  • Ty'Najah Mitchell – JR – G
    • 20 Points (10.0 PPG), 6-14 FG (42.9 FG%), 6-12 3FG (50.0 3FG%), 2-2 FT (100 FT%), 3 Steals (1.5 SPG)
• Team Notes:
  • After suffering a 65-45 home loss to John Brown to open the season on Nov. 4, Oklahoma Wesleyan closed out its home classic with an incredible fourth quarter performance against Evangel, outscoring the Valor 30-16 in the fourth quarter to come away with an 84-79 victory. Four Eagles scored in double-figures, led by Jessa Gilyard off the bench with 22 points on 7-of-10 from the field and 5-for-5 from the foul line.
  • Through the first two games, four different OKWU players are averaging double-figure scoring, led by Cierra Johnson with 29 points (14.5 ppg) on an efficient 47.6 percent shooting rate.
  • Oklahoma Wesleyan has struggled on the glass so far this season as the opposition is outrebounding the Eagles 69-36, which includes a 24-11 edge on the offensive end.
  • The last time the two teams met back on Oct. 23, 2020 inside the Gaulke Activity Center, the Evangels and Eagles battled out a high scoring 102-93 affair as MACU came away with the victory. In the win, six different Evangels scored in double-figures with Presley Payahsape dropping 20 points while Lexi Hernandez chipped in 19.

 
MACU CLASSIC GAME SCHEDULE

• Friday
  • John Brown vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan – 5 pm
  • Mid-America Christian vs. Evangel – 7 pm
• Saturday
  • John Brown vs. Evangel – 12 pm
  • Mid-America Christian vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan – 2 pm