OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU men's basketball team will face one of its biggest home tests of the season to start 2024 as the Evangels host No. 2 Langston for a 7:45 p.m. tip-off inside the Gaulke Activity Center on Thursday night before battling Central Christian for a 3:45 p.m. tip on Saturday.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 6-4 (2-2 SAC)
• Last Game: Won vs. Kansas Christian – 105-71 – Dec. 16, 2023 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Stat Leaders:
  • Points: Magok Manyang (112, 11.2 ppg), Eddie Smith (105, 11.7 ppg), Seth Hurd (95, 10.6 ppg)
  • FG% (%, M-A): Magok Manyang (54.4, 37-68), Seth Hurd (51.3, 40-78), Eddie Smith (41.5, 39-94)
  • 3FG% (%, M-A): Magok Manyang (43.6, 17-39), Eddie Smith (38.9, 14-36), Conner Calavan (37.0, 10-27)
  • FT% (%, M-A): Mikel Henderson (85.0, 17-20), Magok Manyang (77.8, 21-27, Jasiah Lewis (72.7, 24-33)
  • Rebounds: DeAngelo Adkins (72, 7.2 rpg), Magok Manyang (66, 6.6 rpg), Seth Hurd (41, 4.6 rpg)
  • Assists: Jasiah Lewis (33, 3.3 apg), Mikel Henderson (24, 2.4 apg), Eddie Smith (23, 2.6 apg)
  • Steals: DeAngelo Adkins (20, 2.0 spg), Eddie Smith (14, 1.6 spg), Mikel Henderson (13, 1.3 spg)
  • Blocks: DeAngelo Adkins (8, 0.8 bpg), Magok Manyang (8, 0.8 bpg)
• Team Notes:
  • After suffering back-to-back home losses, Mid-America Christian got back on-track in its final game of 2023 as the Evangels cruised to a 105-71 win over Kansas Christian inside the Gaulke Activity Center on Dec. 16.
  • In that win, the Evangels scored their season-high output while 15 different MACU players found themselves in the scoring column, led by senior forward Seth Hurd, who poured in a season-high 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line to go with five boards.
  • After struggling for most of the season from beyond the arc, MACU put together by far and away its most efficient game from the three-point arc in that victory, knocking down 13-of-23 (56.5 percent) from downtown while four different players converted two or more bombs: Magok Manyang (3), Mikel Henderson (2), Jalen Goar (2) and Conner Calavan (2).
  • Mid-America Christian continues to feature an incredibly balanced scoring lineup with five players averaging between nine and 12 points per game. The Evangels have also found multiple players to carry the load following the first four games of the season where Eddie Smith led MACU's offensive attack as four different players have led the Evangels in the last six games with Seth Hurd tallying the most in three of those six contests.

SCOUTING REPORT
Langston (Okla.)

• Record: 11-0 (5-0 SAC)
• Last Game: Won vs. No. 4 LSU-Shreveport – 71-59 (OT) – Dec. 16, 2023 – Langston, Okla.
• Series Streak: LU won 2
• Last Game vs MACU: LU won 2-0 (forfeit) – Jan. 19, 2023 – Langston, Okla.
• Series Streak: LU won 2
• Players to Watch:
  • Anthony Roy – JR – G
    • 179 Points (17.9 ppg), 52-126 FG (41.3%), 22-59 3FG (37.3%), 53-64 FT (82.8%), 57 Reb (5.7 rpg), 10 Assists (1.0 apg)
  • Ronald Mitchell – SR – G
    • 127 Points (11.5 ppg), 43-97 FG (44.3%), 26-64 3FG (40.6%), 15-19 FT (78.9%), 24 Reb (2.2 rpg), 24 Assists (2.2 apg), 12 Steals (1.1 spg)
  • D'Monte Brown – SR – G
    • 113 Points (10.2 ppg), 36-76 FG (47.4%), 32-45 FT (71.1%), 71 Reb (6.5 rpg), 13 Steals (1.2 spg)
• Team Notes:
  • Langston enters Thursday night's contest after coming off its biggest win of the season before the Christmas break. On Dec. 19 inside the Sid Richardson Center in Fort Worth, Texas, the Lions survived a scare when No. 4 LSU-Shreveport had an opportunity at a potential game-winning three at the end of regulation, but the shot missed, sending the game into overtime. However, in the overtime period, LU dominated its way to a 71-59 victory after outscoring LSUS 15-3 in the extra session.
  • The Lions come in as the top scoring defense in the Sooner Athletic Conference, holding their opposition to just 60.9 ppg on 40 percent shooting and 31 percent from the three-point arc. Meanwhile, LU features an incredibly balanced offensive team that ranks fourth in the league in scoring (77.4 ppg) on 44.3 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from three.
  • Junior guard Anthony Roy leads five Lions nearly averaging 9.0 ppg or more, as the NCAA Division I New Mexico State transfer is scoring 17.9 ppg while also effectively pulling down 5.7 rebounds per contest. The Lions are also getting strong production from another NCAA D-I transfer in former Sam Houston State guard Ronald Mitchell Jr., who is pouring in 11.5 ppg while shooting a blistering 40.6 percent from three.
  • Facing the second-ranked team in the NAIA, the Evangels will be looking to avenge a tough home loss against the Lions inside the Gaulke Activity Center last season. On Nov. 16, 2022, the Lions delivered a 99-52 defeat to MACU.

Central Christian (Kan.)

• Record: 5-6 (2-3 SAC)
• Last Game: Lost at No. 2 Langston (Okla.) – 75-67 – Dec. 14, 2023 – Langston, Okla.
• Series vs MACU (2003-): MACU leads 16-2
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 82-72 – Jan. 21, 2023 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Series Streak: MACU won 1
• Players to Watch:
  • Chris Whitten – SO – G
    • 227 Points (20.6 ppg), 72-182 FG (39.6%), 39-96 3FG (40.6%), 44-66 FT (66.7%), 26 Reb (2.4 rpg)
  • Omari Maulana – JR – G
    • 140 Points (12.7 ppg), 46-125 FG (36.8%), 43-58 FT (74.1%), 40 Reb (3.6 rpg), 22 Assists (2.0 apg)
  • Jevarrick Butler – JR – G
    • 124 Points (11.3 ppg), 44-97 FG (45.4%), 13-36 3FG (36.1%), 23-32 FT (71.9%), 66 Reb (6.0 rpg), 19 Steals (1.7 spg)
• Team Notes:
  • After suffering a heartbreaking 73-71 overtime loss at John Brown on Nov. 30, Central Christian has been playing very strong basketball since the start of December. After picking up a 68-61 win at Oklahoma City on Dec. 2, the Tigers followed it up with an 87-69 win over Barclay on Dec. 7 and 75-74 win against UNT Dallas on Dec. 9 before dropping two very hard-fought contests in an 82-76 affair at home to Southwestern Assemblies of God on Dec. 11 and a 75-67 defeat at No. 2 Langston on Dec. 14.
  • A revamped Tigers squad has been making some noise offensively in the SAC, ranking in the top five in scoring offense (75.5 ppg, 5^th) while also sitting in sixth in scoring defense at 73.2 ppg). CCCK has done an especially good job in its perimeter defense, holding its opposition to the second-worst three-point percentage in the league at 29.5 percent.
  • Offensively, the evolution of Chris Whitten has provided the Tigers a spark. After averaging just 6.0 ppg a season ago as a freshman, the sophomore guard this year ranks second in the SAC in scoring average at 20.6 ppg while knocking down a blazing 39-of-96 (40.6 percent) from the three-point range. The Tigers also get massive contributions from senior forward Andre Shelby. Despite struggling on the offensive end, Shelby is the team's leader in rebounds (77, 7.0 rpg), assists (25, 2.3 apg), steals (19, 1.7 spg) and blocked shots (17, 1.5 bpg).
  • Mid-America Christian has fared well against the Tigers inside the Gaulke Activity Center as the Evangels hold a 7-0 record against CCCK since 2003. In their last meeting on Jan. 21, 2023, MACU put together a strong 82-72 victory while Seth Hurd mustered a monstrous double-double, scoring 24 points on 11-of-16 from the field to go with 11 boards while Eylan Goodwyn also poured in 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting to go with seven boards.