OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU Women's Basketball team play host to three other schools in the MACU Classic as the Evangels first game tips off Friday evening at 7 p.m. against Cottey. The Evangels play their second game Saturday afternoon against Mission tipping off at 2 p.m.

SEASON REPORT

• Record: 1-1
• Last Game: Won vs Arlington Baptist (Texas) – 83-50 – Nov. 1, 2025 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Stat Leaders:
  • Points: Monique Carter (27, 13.5 ppg), Talayah Thomas (22, 11.0 ppg), Sincere Roberts (22, 11.0 ppg)
  • FG Percentage (%, M-A, Min 3 FGM): Aniya Smith (70.0, 7-10), Monique Carter (63.2, 12-19), Taliah Lee (44.4, 4-9)
  • 3FG Percentage (%, M-A, Min 1 3FGM): Brooke Quintana (100.0, 1-1), Aniya Smith (66.7, 2-3), Sincere Roberts (42.9, 3-7)
  • FT Percentage (%, M-A, Min 2 FTM): Talayah Thomas (100.0, 2-2), Mia Smith (75.0, 3-4), Monique Carter (66.7, 2-3)
  • Rebounds: Aniya Smith (10, 5.0 rpg), Caitlynn Jordan (9, 4.5 rpg)
  • Assists: Monique Carter (11, 5.5 apg), Mia Smith (6, 3 apg)
  • Steals: Monique Carter (8, 4 spg), Talayah Thomas (5, 2.5 spg), Brooke Quintana (5, 5 spg)
  • Blocks: Sincere Roberts (1, 1 bpg), Aniya Smith (1, 1 bpg)
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian won its home-opener last weekend defeating Arlington Baptist by a commanding 83-50. Monique Carter and Caitlynn Jordan led the Evangels in scoring with 17 apiece. Carter shot an efficient 8-for-9, while dishing four assists and tallying five steals.  
  • MACU finished with 25 team steals, the most from an Evangel team since recording 28 steals against Baptist Bible (Mo.) on Oct. 28, 2020, in a 116-31 win.  
  • Although the Evangels' offense struggled to get going in the first half, they held the Patriots to only three points in the second quarter, then rallied behind a 51-point second half to come away with the Evangels' first win of the season.

SCOUTING REPORT
Cottey (Mo.)

• Record: 0-4
• Last Game: Loss at McPherson (Kan.) – 77-47 – Nov. 1, 2025 – McPherson, Kansas
• Series vs MACU: MACU Leads 2-0
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 76-66 – Nov. 8, 2024 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Series Streak: MACU W2
• Players to Watch
  • Gabrielle Burrus – FR – G
    • 63 Points (15.75 ppg), 26-59 FG (44.1 %), 3-17 3FG (17.6 %), 8-15 FT (53.3 %), 12 Reb (3.0 rpg), 10 Assists (2.5 apg), 2 Blocks (.5 bpg), 4 GP, 4 GS, 137 MIN
  • Andrea Aragon – SR – F
    • 31 Points (7.75 ppg), 11-23 FG (47.8 %), 6-11 3FG (54.5 %), 3-5 FT (60.0 %), 18 Reb (4.5 rpg), 4 GP, 3 GS, 79 MIN
  • Riley Essenpries – FR – G
    • 28 Points (7.0 ppg), 7-12 FG (58.3 %), 14-23 FT (60.9 %), 16 Reb (4 rpg), 4 Assists (1 apg), 3 Steals (0.75 spg), 4 GP, 3 GS, 116 MIN
• Team Notes:
  • Cottey still in search of its first win, opened the season with a loss at home to Langston, followed by three consecutive road games including going 0-2 in the McPherson classic picking up losses to Central Christian and McPherson.
  • The Comets offense is led by freshmen guard Gabrielle Burrus averaging just under 16 points per game totaling 63 in four games including 26 against Central Christian. Although Cottey hasn't been shooting the three ball well to open the season, they stay aggressive off the dribble and average 20 free throws a game.
  • The biggest statistical differential for the Comets and their opponents has been the turnover battle. Cottey has averaged 23.5 turnovers a game and only forcing 13 from their opposition.
  • This will be the third meeting between the Evangels and the Comets, as MACU leads the all-time series 2-0. The last meeting took place on Nov. 8, 2024, inside the Gaulke Activity Center, as the Evangels squeaked out a 10-point 76-66 win outscoring the Comets 28-14 in the fourth quarter for the win. Talayah Thomas knocked down three triples and led the team with 20 points in the win.

SCOUTING REPORT
Mission (Mo.)

• Record: 1-1
• Last Game: Loss vs St. Thomas (Fla.) – 75-71 – Nov. 1, 2025 – St. Louis, Mo. – UHSP Gymnasium
• Series vs MACU: MACU Leads 12-0
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 95-88 – Nov. 9, 2024 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Series Streak: MACU W12
• Players to Watch
  • Ireland Jones – SO - G
    • 36 Points (18.0 ppg), 9-23 FG (39.1 %), 3-13 3FG (23.1 %), 15-19 FT (78.9 %), 9 Reb (4.5 rpg), 9 Assists (4.5 apg), 3 Steals (1.5 spg), 2 GP, 2 GS, 70 MIN
  • Autumn Gunter – FR - F
    • 30 Points (15.0 ppg),11-22 FG (50.0 %), 5-12 3FG (41.7 %), 3-3 FT (100.0 %), 6 Reb (3.0 rpg), 2 Steals (1 spg), 2 GP, 37 MIN
  • Miya Nieto – JR - F
    • 29 Points (14.5 ppg), 10-24 FG (41.7 %), 5-12 3FG (41.7 %), 4-6 FT (66.7 %), 5 Reb (2.5 rpg), 7 Assists (3.5 apg), 4 Steals (2 spg), 2 GP, 2 GS, 67 MIN
• Team Notes
  • Mission opened its season with Ecclesia at home in a dominate 77-39 win led by sophomore guard Ireland Jones scoring 21 points. The Patriots played the next day against St. Thomas at a neutral venue in St. Louis and suffered a narrow loss 75-71. A competitive game until the end as freshmen Autumn Gunter dropped 23 points in the narrow loss.
  • Although Mission has only played a pair of games this season, the Patriots offensively led by their youth with Jones averaging 18 ppg, followed by Gunter with 15 ppg.
  • These two squads met last season inside the Gaulke Activity Center on Nov. 9, 2024, as the Evangels came out with their 12^th consecutive win over the Patriots in a 95-88 battle. Shy Christopher led MACU in scoring with 23 points, and returner Talayah Thomas recorded a 15-4-4 stat line in the seven-point Evangel win a season ago.