OKLAHOMA CITY – The No. 20 MACU women's basketball will be looking to bounce back from its first loss of the season as the Evangels host a crucial Sooner Athletic Conference showdown against bitter rival Science & Arts inside the Gaulke Activity Center on Thursday night.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 8-1 (3-1 SAC)
• Last Game: Lost at Wayland Baptist (Texas) – 55-54 – Dec. 3, 2022 – Plainview, Texas
• Stat Leaders:
  • Points: Whitney Outon (100, 14.3), Shy Christopher (99, 14.1), Jaci Littell (81, 13.5)
  • FG% (Min. 3 FGM/G): Whitney Outon (38-74, 51.4), Shy Christopher (37-86, 43.0), Jaci Littell (24-62, 38.7)
  • 3FG% (Min. 1 3FGM/G): Jaci Littell (14-31, 45.2), Whitney Outon (11-25, 44.0), Kyleigh Leverich (10-26, 38.5)
  • FT% (Min. 2 FTM/G): Jaci Littell (19-25, 76.0), Shy Christopher (21-29, 72.4)
  • Reb: Whitney Outon (58, 8.3), Sydney Wycoff (43, 6.1), Shy Christopher (38, 5.4)
  • Assists: Sydney Wycoff (22, 3.1), Kyleigh Leverich (19, 2.7), Shy Christopher (18, 2.6)
  • Steals: Jaci Littell (11, 1.8), Sydney Wycoff (8, 1.1), Alexis Borgstadt (6, 0.9)
  • Blocks: Whitney Outon (11, 1.6), Ashley Hopper (6, 0.9)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian lost a heartbreaker in its first defeat of the season. With the Evangels leading by one with 5.4 seconds left, Wayland Baptist's Kaitlyn Edgemon received an in-bound pass at the top of the key and dribbled down the right side before heaving up a difficult right-handed scoop shot that dropped in at the buzzer to secure a 55-54 win over the Evangels inside the Hutcherson Center on Dec. 3.
  • After missing the OPSU game, Jaci Littell made a huge impact on her return to the lineup as she knocked down a season-high four three-pointers, going 4-for-8 from range with three of the triples coming in the first quarter. Littell is currently SAC's second-most prolific three-point shooter as her 45.2 percent clip from downtown is just 0.7 percent back of JBU's Maci Mains for the league lead.
  • The Evangels were able to battle back from four points down to start the fourth quarter behind the play of Shy Christopher, who scored 13 of her game-high 17 points over the final 10 minutes, which included the go-ahead free throw before the final play.
  • After notching a season-best four blocked shots in the contest, graduate student forward Whitney Outon currently leads the SAC in rejections per game at 1.6.

SCOUTING REPORT
(RV) Science & Arts (Okla.)

• Record: 9-0 (4-0 SAC)
• Last Game: Won vs. UNT-Dallas – 70-65 – Dec. 3, 2022 – Chickasha, Okla.
• Series vs. MACU (2003-): MACU leads 20-16
• Last Game vs. MACU: MACU won 65-60 – Jan. 29, 2022 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Players to Watch:
  • Zaria Dorsey – SR – F
    • 123 Points (13.7 ppg), 51-115 FG (44.3%), 9-25 3FG (36.0%), 12-15 FT (80.0%), 70 Reb (7.8 rpg), 19 Assists (2.1 apg), 16 Steals (1.8 spg), 9 Blocks (1.0 bpg)
  • Lainey Morrow – SO – F
    • 120 Points (13.3 ppg), 41-74 FG (55.4%), 3-3 3FG (100.0%), 35-41 FT (85.4%), 59 Reb (6.6 rpg), 13 Assists (1.4 apg), 15 Steals (1.7 spg)
  • Diaka Berete – SO – G
    • 105 Points (11.7 ppg), 38-86 FG (44.2%), 6-20 3FG (30.0%), 23-32 FT (71.9%), 56 Reb (6.2 rpg), 23 Assists (2.6 apg), 20 Steals (2.2 spg)
• Team Notes:
  • Science & Arts is coming off a hard-fought 65-60 win over SAC upstart UNT-Dallas at home on Dec. 3. After the Trailblazers tied the game at 60 with 1:35 to go in the fourth quarter, the Drovers came up with some huge defensive stops down the stretch while knocking down 5-of-6 foul shots to secure the victory.
  • The Drovers feature a balanced offensive attack with four players averaging more than 11 points per game, led by senior forward Zaria Dorsey (13.7 ppg) who is also one of five players in the SAC that ranks in the top 10 in the league in both scoring and rebounding (7.8 rpg).
  • The Drovers are a strong team offensively and defensively, posting the SAC's third-best shooting percentage (43.2) while holding the opposition to just 35.2 percent from the field, the second-best rate in the league.
  • The series has been a relatively even one since the 2019-20 season with the Evangels holding a slight 3-2 edge in that time frame and a 20-16 differential in the all-time series since 2003. The last time the two teams met inside the Gaulke Activity Center on Jan. 29, MACU managed to hold off a Drovers fourth quarter rally for the 65-60 win. Lexi Hernandez led the Evangels with 23 points and eight rebounds while Sydney Wycoff pitched in 15 points and five boards.