OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU Men's Basketball team officially opens Sooner Athletic Conference play this week as the Evangels head up to Bethany, Okla. for an 8 pm tip-off against Southwestern Christian inside Pickens-Springer Gymnasium before returning home on Saturday to battle Oklahoma City for a 4 p.m. tip inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 5-0
• Last Game: Won at Hesston – 87-81 (OT) – Nov. 17, 2025 – Hesston, Kan.
• Stat Leaders:
  • Points: Morris Williams (102, 20.4 ppg), Shannon Strickland (64, 12.8 ppg)
  • FG Percentage (%, M-A; Min 3 FGM/G): Morris Williams (54.1, 33-61), Shannon Strickland (53.8, 21-39)
  • 3FG Percentage (%, M-A; Min 1 3FGM/G): Shannon Strickland (50.0, 9-18), James Locke (44.0, 11-25)
  • FT Percentage (%, M-A; Min 2 FTM/G): Demerius Shakur (100, 13-13), Shannon Strickland (86.7, 13-15)
  • Rebounds: Morris Williams (36, 7.2 rpg), Clance Crosby (31, 6.2 rpg)
  • Assists: Demerius Shakur (13, 2.6 apg), Zander Baker (13, 2.6 apg)
  • Steals: Zander Baker (8, 1.6 spg), Two Tied (6)
  • Blocks: Clance Crosby (8, 1.6 bpg), Morris Williams (3, 0.6 bpg)
• Team Notes:
  • After having an 11-day break in-between games, Mid-America Christian struggled on the road against a red-hot shooting Hesston team that shot a blistering 18-for-38 (47.4 percent) from three-point range, including 12-of-21 (57.1 percent) in the first half.
  • With the game tied at 71 with 5:21 to go, the Evangels found themselves with their backs against the wall when Hesston went on a 7-0 run over the next three-and-a-half minutes to hold a 77-71 lead with 1:59 left.
  • However, MACU rallied by implementing a full-court trapping press in the final two minutes that forced Hesston into committing two costly turnovers that resulted in a pair of Zander Baker steals that resulted a three and a pair of throws for the sophomore guard following two Shannon Strickland free throws at the 1:39 mark that allowed MACU to tie the game and force overtime.
  • In the overtime period, the Evangels defense held the Larks to one lone three-pointer as MACU pulled away with the hard-fought 87-81 road win.
  • While Morris Williams led MACU with 22 points and 11 rebounds, including going 10-for-10 from the foul stripe, the Evangels found a spark in Baker, who recorded his first double-digit scoring game of the season and the fifth of his two-year MACU career, pouring in a career-high 14 points in the victory.

SCOUTING REPORT
Southwestern Christian (Okla.)

• Record: 2-2 (0-1 SAC)
• Last Game: Lost vs. Oklahoma City – 85-63 – Nov. 15, 2025 – Bethany, Okla.
• Series vs MACU (2004-): MACU leads 30-13
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 102-61 – Jan. 23, 2025 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Series Streak: MACU won 4
• Players to Watch:
  • Michal Wooldridge – JR – F
    • 60 Points (15.0 ppg), 26-48 FG (54.2%), 5-8 3FG (62.5%), 3-5 FT (60.0%), 20 Reb (5.0 rpg), 6 Assists (1.5 apg)
  • JaColby Williams – FR – G/F
    • 53 Points (13.3 ppg), 19-42 FG (45.2%), 7-21 3FG (33.3%), 8-11 FT (72.7%), 21 Reb (5.3 rpg), 4 Steals (1.0 spg)
  • Jalen Goar – JR – G
    • 28 Points (7.0 ppg), 10-43 FG (23.3%), 5-6 FT (83.3%), 10 Reb (2.5 rpg), 10 Assists (2.5 apg), 6 Steals (1.5 spg)
• Team Notes:
  • Southwestern Christian opened up its SAC slate last Saturday with a home game against crosstown rival Oklahoma City as the Stars went into Pickens-Springer Gym and came away with the 85-63 win over the Eagles.
  • It's been tough sledding for the Eagles offensively to start out the season as the SCU ranks second-to-last in the SAC in scoring offense at 70.8 ppg on the second-lowest field goal percentage (41.2) and three-point percentage (28.4). SCU has also been challenged on the defensive end as the Eagles are allowing the third-most points in the league (77.0 ppg) on the third-highest shooting percentage (43.5).
  • Southwestern Christian is led on the offensive end by a highly-experienced forward in Michal Wooldridge, who is averaging 15.0 ppg on a 54.2 percent shooting clip and is also knocking down 62.5 percent from three-point range. Freshman guard JaColby Williams is only other Eagle averaging in double-digits at 13.3 ppg while the Evangels will also need to contain former MACU guard Jalen Goar, who is chipping in 7.0 points oand 2.5 assists per contest.
  • Mid-America Christian downright dominated both meetings against the Eagles last season with both games being played inside the Gaulke due to facility issues at Pickens-Springer last spring. While MACU grinded out a 74-62 win over SCU in their Dec. 12 meeting, the Jan. 23 was a complete blowout in the Evangels' favor as MACU pulled away with the 102-61 win. Juwan White led MACU with 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting while going 4-for-4 from the three-point arc.

Oklahoma City

• Record: 3-3 (1-0 SAC)

• Last Game: Won at Southwestern Christian - 85-63 – Nov. 15, 2025 – Bethany, Okla.
• Series vs MACU (2004-): OCU leads 21-20
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 69-48 – Jan. 25, 2025 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Series Streak: MACU won 4
• Players to Watch:
  • Jonas Carlisle – SR – G
    • 108 Points (18.0 ppg), 37-79 FG (46.8%), 16-40 3FG (40.0%), 18-26 FT (69.2%), 44 Reb (7.3 rpg), 14 Assists (2.3 apg), 8 Steals (1.3 spg), 7 Blocks (1.2 bpg)
  • Brian Alexander – JR – G
    • 93 Points (15.5 ppg), 37-86 FG (43.0%), 7-20 3FG (35.0%), 12-15 FT (80.0%), 23 Reb (3.8 rpg), 19 Assists (3.2 apg), 8 Steals (1.3 spg)
  • Jackson Hopps – JR – F
    • 67 Points (11.2 ppg), 22-44 FG (50.0%), 6-18 3FG (33.3%), 17-19 FT (89.5%), 9 Steals (1.5 spg)
• Team Notes:
  • Oklahoma City bounced back from a three-game losing streak in its SAC opener on Saturday at Southwestern Christian as the Stars cruised to an 85-63 road victory.
  • Offensively, the Stars rank in the middle of the pack in the SAC, posting the sixth-highest scoring average (84.7 ppg) while ranking ninth in shooting percentage (43.4) and 10^th in three-point percentage (29.9). However, where the Stars are strong is their ability to get to and convert from the free throw line, leading the SAC in made free throws (116) and free throw attempts (165).
  • Featuring almost a brand-new roster under brand new head coach Sam Kohnke, who came to OCU after a stellar four-year career at Central Baptist from the American Midwest Conference. Coming along with their coach is the team's top two scorers in Jonas Carlisle and Brian Alexander, who are each respectively averaging 18.0 and 15.5 ppg after competing for a Mustangs team that qualified for the NAIA Tournament last season.
  • In their two meetings last season, Mid-America Christian defensively dominated the Stars to the tune of a 69-58 win inside Abe Lemons Arena on Dec. 14 before running away with a 69-48 victory inside the Gaulke on Jan. 25, tying for the fifth-fewest point allowed in a single game since the program joined the NAIA in 2007. Keeshawn Mason came up big for MACU in that game, scoring 20 points and pulling down 12 boards and three blocks while Tarrence Gaines poured in 17 points.