Men’s Basketball to Face Florida College in Season Opener

OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU Men's Basketball team will face a major opponent in its season-opener inside the Gaulke Activity Center on Saturday as the Evangels host Florida College for a 6 p.m. tip-off.

MACU SEASON REPORT

2024-25 Record: 22-9 (17-7 SAC)
Last Game: Lost vs. (7) No. 23 Oklahoma Wesleyan – 80-69 – Mar. 14, 2025 – Sioux Center, Iowa (NAIA Tournament – 1^st Round)
Key Returners:
- Morris Williams – R-JR – F
  - 2024-25 Stats (RS): 6 GP, 45 Points (7.5 ppg), 16-33 FG (48.5%), 8-19 3FG (42.1%), 5-6 FT (83.3%), 10 Reb (1.7 rpg)
- Shannon Strickland – R-SR – G
  - 2024-25 Stats (RS): 4 GP, 16 Points (4.0 ppg), 6-20 FG (30.0%), 2-10 3FG (20.0%), 2-2 FT (100%), 14 Reb (3.5 rpg)
- Zander Baker – R-SO – G
  - 2024-25 Stats: 31 GP, 1 GS, 91 Points (2.9 ppg), 31-77 FG (40.3%), 18-47 3FG (38.3%), 11-19 FT (57.9%), 57 Reb (1.8 rpg), 29 Assists (0.9 apg), 22 Steals (0.7 spg)
Key Newcomers:
- Clay Baldwin – R-SR – G – Previous School: Sul Ross State
  - 2024-25 Stats: 6 GP, 4 GS, 64 Points (10.7 ppg), 22-50 FG (44.0%), 4-14 3FG (28.6%), 16-19 FT (84.2%), 12 Reb (2.0 rpg), 9 Ast (1.5 apg), 10 Steals (1.7 spg)
- Clance Crosby – R-SR – F – Previous School: Alabama A&M
  - 2024-25 Stats: 31 GP, 3 GS, 91 Points (2.9 ppg), 35-59 FG (59.3%), 21-41 FT (51.2%), 60 Reb (1.9 rpg), 12 Blocks (0.4 bpg)
- James Locke – SR – G – Previous School: West Florida
  - 2024-25 Stats: 13 GP, 27 Points (2.1 ppg), 9-27 FG (33.3%), 5-17 3FG (29.4%), 4-8 FT (50.0%), 10 Reb (0.8 rpg)
- Corey Skillman – JR – G – Previous School: Central Missouri
  - 2024-25 Stats: 23 GP, 66 Points (2.9 ppg), 22-74 FG (29.7%), 18-49 3FG (36.7%), 4-10 FT (40.0%), 20 Reb (0.9 rpg)
Team Notes:
- Mid-America Christian is coming off another highly successful season where the Evangels amassed a 22-9 overall record and finished in a tie for second in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings with a 17-7 league mark.
- With head coach Josh Gamblin entering his 11^th season at the helm, the Evangels qualified for their seventh NAIA Tournament in his 10^th year with the program while also recording his seventh 20-plus win season at MACU. The Evangels season came to a close to eventual NAIA National Runner-Up No. 23 Oklahoma Wesleyan by a score of 80-69 in the NAIA Tournament First Round in Sioux Center, Iowa on Mar. 14.
- While the Evangels graduated most of its talent from that team, including a pair of All-SAC honorees in Josiah Fulcher and Juwan White, the SAC Defensive Player of the Year in Tarrence Gaines, as well as senior forward Magok Manyang and Quentin Woodson to name a few, Mid-America Christian will be looking to get a spark out of a pair of its redshirts last year in Morris Williams and Shannon Strickland. Both players saw some action in the early season and showed some promise before deciding to redshirt for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign. MACU also brings back an experience backup point guard in Zander Baker, who saw some key minutes at the point guard position last year.
- MACU brings in a wellspring of talent that are expecting to make an immediate impact, including a senior forward in Clance Crosby, who competed at NCAA D-I Alabama A&M as well as three NCAA D-II transfers in Clay Baldwin (Sul Ross State), James Locke (West Florida), and Corey Skillman (Central Missouri).

SCOUTING REPORT
Florida College

2024-25 Record: 12-17 (3-1 CAC)
Last Game: Lost vs Carolina (N.C.) – 86-80 – Feb. 27, 2025 – Lawrence, Kan. (CAC Quarterfinal)
Series vs MACU: First Meeting
Last Game vs MACU: N/A
Series Streak: N/A
Players to Watch:
- Malik Beauford – SR – G
  - 2024-25 Stats: 28 GP, 24 GS, 382 Points (13.6 ppg), 150-311 FG (48.2%), 30-95 3FG (31.6%), 52-70 FT (74.3%), 144 Reb (5.1 rpg), 36 Assists (1.3 apg)
Team Notes:
- Florida College enters Friday night's season-opener at Langston with a brand new look with the Falcons now being led by new head coach Brian Blackburn, who won at the state high school level in Texas. The Falcons are seeking to get back to a winning pedigree following a down year as FC qualified for three-straight NAIA Tournaments from 2022-24.
- The only key returner for the Falcons this season is senior guard Malik Beauford as Florida College will be running with nearly a brand new roster for 2025-26. Last season, Beauford was the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 13.6 ppg on a solid 48.2 percent shooting from the field and pulled down 5.1 rebounds per contest on the glass.
- A couple of players that made some big impacts coming in will be a former rival MACU's, senior forward Chris Fetuga, who competed at Southwestern Christian the last two seasons. Aiden Wall was a starting guard at NCAA D-II Western New Mexico out of the Lone Star Conference. Kenny White Jr. is another NAIA transfer from Jarvis Christian that started a bulk load of the games for the Bulldogs last season.
- Saturday's night's contest will mark the first ever meeting between Mid-America Christian and Florida College.