POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – MACU Women's Basketball wins a fifth consecutive game with a 79-40 win in one of the NAIA's featured Games of the Week over LSU Shreveport on Saturday afternoon on Day 2 of the COFO Lady Cat Classic.   
 
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 79, (RV) LSU Shreveport 40
  • Mid-America Christian: (5-1)
  • LSU Shreveport: (4-2)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Taliah Lee: 21 Points, 9 Reb, 2 Steals, 2 Assists, 1 Block
• Caitlynn Jordan: 16 Points, 9 Reb, 2 Assists
• Mia Smith: 11 Points, 4 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Steal
• Sincere Roberts: 10 Points, 10 Reb, 2 Assists, 1 Steal

GAME SUMMARY

• First Quarter
  • Both offenses made shots early as it was Caitlynn Jordan for the Evangels splashing in a triple on the opening possession. Taliah Lee knocked down a contested jumper to level it up 7-7 halfway through the opening quarter.
  • Lee took control of the Evangel offense with seven consecutive points off a good pass from Sincere Roberts for a second early assist. Lee drilled a three-pointer to give MACU a 12-9 lead with 2:30 left.
  • Jordan finished at the basket with a minute left for five first quarter points, as MACU took an 18-11 lead into the first break.
• Second Quarter
  • The Evangels exploded out of the gates to start the second quarter with a quick 10-0 run two and half minutes into the quarter. Jordan cashed a corner three, Talayah Thomas got on the score sheet with a triple of her own, and Sincere Roberts poured in consecutive buckets.
  • The Pilots ended the run and started to see some shots fall, but the Evangels continued to have their way on the offensive side. Mia Smith's smooth jumper was good for three to spark seven consecutive points for Smith, to give MACU a 37-21 advantage.
  • Lee made a pair of free throws to close out the first half as the Evangels had a 20-point halftime lead at 41-21.
• Third Quarter
  • MACU opened with the dream start to the second half going on a 16-0 run in five minutes, shooting 6-8 from the field and 3-3 from behind the arc. Lee drilled consecutive triples, followed by a three from Jordan for nine Evangel points in three possessions. Lee got to the rack for the last points of the run as MACU led 57-21.
  • LSUS finally got on the board in the third quarter with four minutes remaining, but the Evangels weren't done scoring as Lee's jumper found the bottom for a game-high 21 points.
  • Roberts knocked down a midrange on the final possession of the quarter for her 10^th point, and lead the Evangels to a 66-29 lead.
• Fourth Quarter
  • Jordan responded to a Pilots' three with a triple of her own two minutes in, followed by consecutive jumpers from Aniya Smith.
  • Freshmen Berlin Bartlett and Brooklyn Hunt scored the final four points for the Evangels to close out the COFO Lady Cat Classic with a 79-40 win.

GAME NOTES

• MACU finished 29-64 (45.3%) from the field, 9-26 (34.6%) from three, and a season high 85.7% from the free throw line converting on 12 of 14. LSUS struggled all afternoon shooting 15-65 (23.1%) from the field, 20% from behind the arc at 6-30, and 4-13 (30.8%) from the charity stripe.  
• MACU won the turnover battle at 16-19, but for the first time this season lost the offensive rebounds margin at 13-16. However, the Evangels converted on second chance points with a staggering 14-0 margin against the Pilots.   
• Taliah Lee led the Evangels offensively with a season-high 21 points on an efficient 8-12 from the field, 3-5 from 3pt, and cashing in on both free throws. Lee's only other collegiate 20-plus point game came for Providence (Mont.) against MACU on Nov. 2^nd, 2024, where Taliah finished with 24 points, 8-13 from the field, and a ridiculous 6-8 3FG inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
• Three other Evangels finished in double digit scoring, Caitlynn Jordan had 16 points with four triples, Mia Smith had 11 points, and Sincere Roberts added 10.
• Roberts led rebounding with a 10 to record her first double-double of the season. Jordan and Lee both finished with nine boards, one shy each of a double-double.
• Monique Carter was the leading distributor with five assists, M. Smith dished out three dimes of her own.
• MACU improves to 4-0 all-time against LSU Shreveport. The last meeting came on Nov. 4, 2022, in a 62-59 MACU win inside the Gaulke Activity Center. This result is the first double digit win for the Evangels over the Pilots.    

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian opens Sooner Athletic Conference play next with a crosstown trip to rivals Southwestern Christian on Thursday evening, Nov. 20, for a 6 p.m. tip off.