OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian women's basketball team will open the 2022-23 season with a premiere matchup as the Evangels will face off against LSU-Shreveport inside the Gaulke Activity Center at 6 p.m. on Friday.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• 2021-22 Record: 28-5
• Last Game: Lost vs. No. 14 Clarke (Iowa) – 84-77 – Mar. 12, 2022 – Wichita, Kan. (NAIA Opening Round)
• Top Returners:
  • Sydney Wycoff – GR – G
    • 282 Points (8.8 PPG), 93-188 FG (49.5 FG%), 27-74 3FG (36.5 3FG%), 69-99 FT (69.7 FT%), 135 Reb (4.2 RPG), 77 Assists (2.4 APG), 52 Steals (1.6 SPG)
  • Kyleigh Leverich – GR – G
    • 162 Points (5.1 PPG), 50-125 FG (40.0 FG%), 24-60 3FG (40.0 3FG%), 38-51 FT (74.5 FT%), 126 Reb (3.9 RPG), 118 Assists (3.7 APG), 44 Steals (1.4 SPG)
  • Aneli Thomsen – GR – F
    • 88 Points (3.3 PPG), 36-71 FG (50.7 FG%), 16-21 FT (76.2 FT%), 72 Reb (2.7 RPG), 9 Steals
• Top Newcomers:
  • Shy Christopher – R-SO – G
    • Scored 117 points (6.8 PPG) on 43.9 percent shooting and pulled down 2.9 rebounds per contest last season at NCAA Division I Southeast Missouri State.
  • Jaci Littell – JR – G
    • Competed in 79 games and made 50 starts, scored 526 points (6.7 PPG), pulled down 251 rebounds (3.2 RPG) and dished out 143 assists (1.8 APG) in three seasons at NCAA Division II Central Oklahoma.
  • Whitney Outon – GR – F
    • Scored 605 points (5.8 PPG), ripped down 385 rebounds (3.7 RPG), dished out 118 assists (1.1 APG), tallied 89 steals and 65 blocks in four seasons at NCAA Division II Cameron … is coming off her best season with 230 points (8.8 PPG) and 126 rebounds (4.4 RPG).
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian is coming off its winningest season in the NAIA Era after boasting a 28-5 record, which included a 19-3 mark in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
  • The Evangels also recorded their first ever NAIA National Championship Tournament win after defeating Briar Cliff (Iowa) 76-64 in the opening round on Mar. 11, 2022 in Wichita, Kan.
  • While the Evangels lost six of their top seven scorers from a season ago, MACU brought back its dynamic backcourt duo of graduate student guards Sydney Wycoff and Kyleigh Leverich. Wycoff was one of the team's best shooters last season at 49.5 percent from the field and is a tenacious on-ball defender with the second-most steals on the team with 52 while Leverich was the team's top distributor with 118 assists, averaging 3.7 dimes per game.
  • MACU brings in a highly touted recruiting class that features two NCAA Division I transfers, three Division II transfers, a JUCO transfer and three high school standouts. Highlighting the class is Shymaria Christopher, who averaged 6.8 ppg for Southeast Missouri State along with Jaci Littell and Whitney Outon, two key contributors for a pair of strong NCAA D-II programs in Central Oklahoma and Cameron.

SCOUTING REPORT
(RV) LSU-Shreveport

• Record: 2-0
• Last Game: Won vs. Dillard (La.) – 61-52 – Oct. 29, 2022 – Shreveport, La.
• Series vs. MACU (2016-): MACU leads 2-0
• Last Game vs. MACU: MACU won 74-67 (OT) – Nov. 1, 2021 – Shreveport, La.
• Players to Watch:
  • Tyquanna Ross – JR – G/F
    • 23 Points (11.5 PPG), 8-12 FG (66.7 FG%), 7-11 FT (63.6 FT%), 7 Reb (3.5 RPG), 2 Steals (1.0 SPG)
  • Tyler Pyburn – JR – G
    • 18 Points (9.0 PPG), 7-16 FG (43.8 FG%), 3-3 FT (100.0 FT%), 7 Reb (3.5 RPG), 2 Assists (1.0 APG)
  • Tahjea Smith – JR – F
    • 15 Points (7.5 PPG), 5-6 FG (83.3 FG%), 5-6 FT (83.3 FT%), 12 Reb (6.0 RPG)
• Team Notes:
  • LSU-Shreveport is coming off a pair of wins in its regular season opening classic, picking up a 74-65 win over Mobile (Ala.) on Oct. 28 and a 61-52 victory over Dillard (La.) on Oct. 29.
  • While the Pilots are averaging just 67.5 points per game, LSUS is an efficient shooting team at 48.9 percent from the field.
  • Shreveport poses a balanced scoring lineup with just one player averaging in double-figures thus far in Tyquanna Ross at 11.5 ppg on a blistering 66.7 percent shooting clip.
  • The last time Mid-America Christian and LSU-Shreveport met last season, the Evangels battled back from an eight-point deficit to start the third quarter to force overtime on Ossyana Ozoani's buzzer-beating layup. MACU then outscored the Pilots 9-2 in the extra session to come away with the 74-67 victory on Nov. 1, 2021.