OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU Men's Basketball team will be seeking its first road win on a massive stage before it enters the Thanksgiving break as the Evangels prepare to travel to Langston, Oklahoma on Tuesday night for an 8 p.m. contest against No. 1 Langston inside C.F. Gayles Fieldhouse.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 6-2 (3-2 SAC)
• Last Game: Won vs. College of the Ozarks (Mo.) – 67-63 – Nov. 23, 2024 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Stat Leaders:
  • Points: Josiah Fulcher (148, 18.5 ppg), Juwan White (98, 12.3 ppg)
  • FG Percentage (Min. 3 FGM/G): Josiah Fulcher (55.9, 57-102), Juwan White (51.5, 35-68)
  • 3FG Percentage (Min. 1 3FGM/G): Magok Manyang (45.2, 19-42), Josiah Fulcher (41.5, 17-41)
  • FT Percentage (Min. 2 FTM/G): Josiah Fulcher (89.5, 17-19), Juwan White (85.7, 18-21)
  • Rebounds: Tarrence Gaines (52, 6.5 rpg), Magok Manyang (50, 6.3 rpg)
  • Assists: Juwan White (39, 4.9 apg), Josiah Fulcher (21, 2.6 apg)
  • Steals: Josiah Fulcher (14, 1.8 spg), Zander Baker (10, 1.3 spg)
  • Blocks: Magok Manyang (8, 1.0 bpg), Tarrence Gaines (7, 0.9 bpg)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian bounced back from a road loss at John Brown on Thursday with its sixth-straight home win inside the Gaulke Activity Center on Saturday as the Evangels withstood a strong College of the Ozarks rally late by making some clutch shots down the stretch to hold on for the 67-63 victory.
  • In the win, Magok Manyang put together one of his best career performances with the Evangels as the senior forward scored a career-high 23 points, shooting a career-best 5-for-7 from the three-point arc and went 8-for-12 from the field. The Adelaide, Australia product also led the MACU rebounding efforts with his fifth career double-double with 10 boards.
  • Manyang also placed himself in the top five of MACU's NAIA Era (2007-present) career record book for blocked shots last week with his rejection in the win over the Bobcats moved him into fifth on the list with 57 career rejections in just 40 games with MACU.
  • The Evangels defensively continue to be one of the best in the league as MACU ranks second in the SAC in points allowed per game (68.3) on the second-best defensive efficiency rating (0.935). MACU's ability to control the glass has played a major factor as it leads the SAC in rebounding margin at 12.0, the 14^th-best rate in the NAIA.

SCOUTING REPORT
No. 1 Langston

• Record: 5-2 (2-2 SAC)
• Last Game: Lost at No. 23 Oklahoma City – 66-61 – Nov. 26, 2024 – Oklahoma City
• Series vs MACU (2013-): MACU leads 12-6
• Last Game vs MACU: LU won 55-44 – Mar. 5, 2024 – Fort Worth, Texas (SAC Championship)
• Series Streak: LU won 5
• Players to Watch:
  • Bryce Monroe – JR – G
    • 89 Points (12.7 ppg), 31-65 FG (47.7%), 7-15 3FG (46.7%), 20-30 FT (66.7%), 15 Reb (2.1 rpg), 13 Assists (1.9 apg), 7 Steals (1.0 spg)
  • Mario McKinney – SR – G
    • 60 Points (12.0 ppg), 18-49 FG (36.7%), 6-16 3FG (37.5%), 18-25 FT (72.0%), 23 Reb (4.6 rpg), 9 Assists (1.8 apg), 5 Steals (1.0 spg)
  • Darrius Hughes – SR – F
    • 54 Points (9.0 ppg), 22-39 FG (56.4%), 10-13 FT (76.9%), 18 Reb (3.0 rpg)
• Team Notes:
  • Since getting off to a sensational start in non-conference play that saw top-ranked Langston get a 71-64 win over No. 10 The Master's (Calif.) at the Abe Lemons Classic on Nov. 2, it has been an up-and-down start for the Lions in SAC play as Langston is 2-2 against conference foes, most recently suffering a 66-61 loss at No. 23 Oklahoma City on Thursday.
  • While scoring has been a challenge for the Lions this season, ranking second-to-last in the SAC in scoring offense (69.7 ppg), Langston has continued to be one of the best defensive teams in the nation, ranking second in the NAIA in points allowed per game (57.1) as well as the league's best defensive efficiency rating (0.918).
  • The Lions are a completely balanced team on the offensive end with eight player scoring at least 5.0 ppg while Bryce Monroe has been the squad's most effective scorer, averaging 12.7 ppg on 47.7 percent shooting, including gong 46.7 percent from three while Mario McKinney ranks second on the squad in scoring average at 12.0 ppg.
  • Mid-America Christian is seeking to snap the Lions' five-game win streak over the powerhouse program led by one of the best coaches in the NAIA in Chris Wright. The two squads last squared off in the SAC Tournament Championship game in Fort Worth, Texas on Mar. 5 and while the Evangels were able to give Langston a very tough fight, LU pulled away late in the contest to come away with the 55-44 win.