OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU men's basketball team will look to keep its momentum going this week as the Evangels face crosstown rival Oklahoma City at 7:45 p.m. inside Abe Lemons Arena on Thursday night before returning home for a huge Sooner Athletic Conference matchup against John Brown on Saturday.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 8-5 (4-3 SAC)
• Last Game: Won at Southwestern Christian (Okla.) – 99-64 – Jan. 8, 2024 – Bethany, Okla.
• Stat Leaders:
  • Points: Eddie Smith (142, 11.8 ppg), Magok Manyang (130, 10.0 ppg), Mikel Henderson (126, 9.7 ppg)
  • Field Goal Percentage (%, M-A): Magok Manyang (50.6, 44-87), Seth Hurd (50.5, 51-101), Eddie Smith (44.9, 53-118)
  • 3-Point Percentage (%, M-A): Eddie Smith (41.7, 20-48), Magok Manyang (40.0, 18-45), Mikel Henderson (29.3, 24-82)
  • Free Throw Percentage (%, M-A): Mikel Henderson (82.8, 24-29), Magok Manyang (77.4, 24-31), Jasiah Lewis (76.7, 33-43)
  • Rebounds: DeAngelo Adkins (85, 6.5 rpg), Magok Manyang (81, 6.2 rpg), Seth Hurd (57, 4.4 rpg)
  • Assists: Jasiah Lewis (50, 3.8 apg), Mikel Henderson (32, 2.5 apg), Eddie Smith (30, 2.5 apg)
  • Steals: DeAngelo Adkins (23, 1.8 spg), Eddie Smith (17, 1.4 spg), Mikel Henderson (14, 1.1 spg)
  • Blocks: Magok Manyang (12, 0.9 bpg), DeAngelo Adkins (9, 0.7 bpg)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian is coming off one of its best offensive performances of the season in a 99-64 victory at Southwestern Christian on Monday. In the win, the Evangels posted their second-highest field goal percentage of the season (53.3) while converting a season-high 14-of-32 (43.8 percent) from three-point range.
  • In that win, 12 different Evangels found themselves in the scoring column while five finished in double-figures. MACU has continued to be an incredibly balanced offensive team this season with five players averaging between 9-12 points per game.
  • Defensively, the Evangels held the Eagles to their second-lowest scoring output inside Pickens-Springer Gymnasium this season. Even though SCU ranks second-to-last in the SAC in scoring offense at 68.6 ppg, the Eagles were averaging 75.7 ppg in their home venue before being held to 64 by the Evangels.
  • By getting wins over Central Christian and Southwestern Christian in its last two games, Mid-America Christian has been able to remain in the top half of the SAC standings as the Evangels sit in sixth with a 4-3 league mark. MACU is a game back of Science & Arts, Southwestern Assemblies of God and Wayland Baptist, who are all in a tie for third with a 5-2 record.

SCOUTING REPORT
Oklahoma City

• Record: 3-10 (1-6 SAC)
• Last Game: Lost at UNT Dallas – 85-72 – Jan. 6, 2024 – Dallas
• Series vs MACU (2003-): OCU leads 21-16
• Last Game vs MACU: OCU won 79-72 – Feb. 18, 2023 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Series Streak: OCU won 2
• Players to Watch:
  • Brandon Jackson – SR – F
    • 212 Points (16.3 ppg), 69-178 FG (38.8%), 26-90 3FG (28.9%), 48-56 FT (85.7%), 84 Reb (6.5 rpg), 15 Assists (1.2 apg)
  • Avery Jackson – SO – G
    • 198 Points (16.5 ppg), 60-171 FG (35.1%), 14-75 3FG (18.7%), 64-77 FT (83.1%), 62 Reb (5.2 rpg), 12 Assists (1.0 apg)
  • Yorgio Golesis – FR – G
    • 136 Points (10.5 ppg), 54-115 FG (47.0%), 21-36 FT (58.3%), 40 Reb (3.1 rpg), 33 Assists (2.5 apg), 21 Steals (1.6 spg)
• Team Notes:
  • Oklahoma City is coming off a tough Texas road trip last week. After putting up a tough fight in an 85-76 loss at Southwestern Assemblies of God on Jan. 4, the Stars dropped an 85-72 decision at UNT Dallas on Jan. 6. OCU's lone conference win so far this season came in an 80-78 nail-biter of a win over Oklahoma Panhandle State inside Abe Lemons Arena on Dec. 9.
  • The Stars offensively have struggled to shoot the ball during the 2023-24 season as OCU ranks last in the SAC in both shooting percentage (39.5) and three-point field goal percentage (24.9). However, Oklahoma City has been successful when it can get to the free throw line as the Stars rank second in the conference in free throw percentage (74.0). OCU has been challenged on the defensive end as well, ranking second-to-last in scoring defense (80.5 ppg).
  • A bulk load of OCU's scoring has come from its Jackson tandem of senior forward Brandon Jackson and sophomore guard Avery Jackson with each averaging 16.3 and 16.5 ppg while freshman guard Yorgio Golesis is pouring in 10.5 ppg.
  • Mid-America Christian will be shooting for its first win against the Stars since the 2021-22 season. Last year, the Stars swept the season series with a 92-68 win in El Reno, Oklahoma on Jan. 14 before coming to the Gaulke Activity Center and picking up a 79-72 victory.

John Brown (Ark.)

• Record: 8-4 (6-1 SAC)
• Last Game: Won at Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) – 86-77 – Jan. 6, 2024 – Waxahachie, Texas
• Series vs MACU (2003-): JBU leads 19-14
• Last Game vs MACU: JBU won 101-96 – Feb. 16, 2023 – Siloam Springs, Ark.
• Series Streak: JBU won 1
• Players to Watch:
  • Malachi Reeves – SO – G
    • 180 Points (15.5 ppg), 62-145 FG (42.8%), 28-62 3FG (45.2%), 28-36 FT (77.8%), 76 Reb (6.3 rpg), 35 Assists (2.9 apg)
  • Drew Miller – JR – G
    • 162 Points (13.5 ppg), 49-129 FG (38.0%), 29-83 3FG (34.9%), 35-49 FT (71.4%), 81 Reb (6.8 rpg), 22 Assists (1.8 apg)
  • Ahlante Askew – FR – G
    • 105 Points (8.8 ppg), 36-104 FG (34.6%), 17-51 3FG (33.3%), 16-20 FT (80.0%), 43 Reb (3.6 rpg), 42 Assists (3.5 apg)
• Team Notes:
  • John Brown continued to stay near the top of the SAC standings with a pair of crucial road wins in Texas last week, picking up a 65-64 overtime victory at UNT Dallas on Jan. 4 before coming away with an 86-77 win at Southwestern Assemblies of God on Jan. 6.
  • Much like the Evangels, the Golden Eagles are a very balanced offensive team with five players averaging more than 8.0 ppg. Even though JBU ranks just seventh in the SAC in scoring offense (73.8 ppg), the Golden Eagles are a strong three-point shooting (35.9 percent) and free throw shooting (72.7 percent), ranking fourth in each statistical category. This season, JBU has been highly successful in close games as the Golden Eagles hold a 4-0 record in games decided by seven points or less.
  • Leading JBU's offensive efforts is sophomore guard Malachi Reeves, who is averaging 15.5 ppg on a 42.8 percent shooting clip, but is posting the fourth-best three-point rate in the SAC at 45.2 percent. Junior guard Drew Miller is the only other Golden Eagle that is averaging double-digits, scoring 13.5 ppg and is also a three-point specialist, knocking down a team-high 29 triples at a 34.9 percent rate.
  • Mid-America Christian and John Brown split a pair of heavily contrasting contests last season. In their first meeting inside the Gaulke Activity Center on Jan. 12, the Evangels ground out a hard-fought 56-44 defensive battle while the Golden Eagles won a 101-96 shootout inside Bill George Arena in Siloam Springs, Arkansas on Feb. 16.