OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU Men's Basketball will return to Sooner Athletic Conference play this week as the Evangels welcome in Wayland Baptist to the Gaulke Activity Center for an 8 p.m. tip-off on Thursday night before playing Oklahoma Panhandle State at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 10-3 (4-3 SAC)
• Last Game: Won vs. Hesston (Kan.) – 86-50 – Jan. 3, 2026 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Stat Leaders:
  • Points: Morris Williams (231, 17.8 ppg), Shannon Strickland (149, 11.5 ppg)
  • FG Percentage (%, M-A; Min 3 FGM/G): Clance Crosby (60.3, 38-63), Morris Williams (53.8, 77-143)
  • 3FG Percentage (%, M-A; Min 1 3FGM/G): Shannon Strickland (52.4, 22-42), Morris Williams (47.4, 27-57)
  • FT Percentage (%, M-A; Min 2 FTM/G): Shannon Strickland (87.1, 27-31), Morris Williams (82.0, 50-61)
  • Rebounds: Morris Williams (73, 5.6 rpg), Clance Crosby (69, 5.3 rpg)
  • Assists: Shannon Strickland (27, 2.1 apg), Demerius Shakur (24, 1.8 apg)
  • Steals: Zander Baker (22, 1.7 spg), Morris Williams (17, 1.3 spg)
  • Blocks: Clance Crosby (13, 1.0 bpg), Able Houston (6, 0.5 bpg)
• Team Notes:
  • In the team's first game back to start 2026, Mid-America Christian completely handled Hesston in an 86-50 victory inside the Gaulke Activity Center last Saturday in non-conference action.
  • In the win, the Evangels were downright dominant on both ends of the floor, posting a 48.3 percent shooting clip from the floor, including a 42.3 percent rate from three-point range and converted on 85 percent of their free throw tries while holding the Larks to a season-worst 26.7 percent shooting and a team-worst 10 percent from behind the arc.
  • The contest also allowed MACU to go deep into its bench as 16 players saw the floor while 13 different Evangels wound up in the scoring column.
  • In the last two games, senior forward Clance Crosby has provided a more imposing presence in the low post, averaging 10 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest while shooting 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the charity stripe.

SCOUTING REPORT
Wayland Baptist (Texas)

• Record: 10-3 (4-3 SAC)
• Last Game: Won at Our Lady of the Lake – 72-68 – Dec. 30, 2025 – San Antonio, Texas
• Series vs MACU (2008-): WBU leads 21-15
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 69-68 – Feb. 24, 2025 – Plainview, Texas
• Series Streak: MACU won 4
• Players to Watch:
  • Rico Yarbrough – JR – F
    • 160 Points (12.3 ppg), 61-116 FG (52.6%), 38-57 FT (66.7%), 75 Reb (5.8 rpg), 15 Assists (1.2 apg), 23 Steals (1.8 spg)
  • Marcus Green – SR – G
    • 159 Points (13.3 ppg), 50-105 FG (47.6%), 12-29 3FG (41.4%), 47-61 FT (77.0%), 59 Reb (4.9 rpg), 17 Assists (1.4 apg), 14 Steals (1.2 spg)
  • Julian Perez – SO – G
    • 103 Points (8.6 ppg), 33-88 FG (37.5%), 14-41 3FG (34.1%), 23-33 FT (69.7%), 22 Reb (1.8 rpg), 45 Assists (3.8 apg), 13 Steals (1.1 spg)
• Team Notes:
  • Wayland Baptist enters Thursday night's contest identical with the Evangels as both teams own a 10-3 overall record and a 4-3 mark in league play with both teams sitting in a tie for fifth in the SAC standings. WBU is coming off a 72-68 non-conference win at Our Lady of the Lake on Dec. 30.
  • The Pioneers come in with the fifth-best scoring offense in the SAC at 81.9 ppg while owning the best shooting offense (48 percent), but the seventh-rated three-point offense (34.6) as well as the fifth-best free throw clip in the conference (71.0).
  • The Pioneers are also one of the best scoring defenses in the league, allowing the second-fewest points (67.0) and posting the fourth-best field goal defense (41.7) along with the fourth-rated three-point defense (31.5).
  • WBU is a team that has incredible balance across its team with eight of its every day players averaging at least 6.5 ppg or more, led by the tandem of Marcus Green and Rico Yarbrough, who are averaging 13.3 and 12.3 ppg respectively. Seeing his first action of the season against OLLU, Jamari Lawrence also provides a scoring threat after netting 17 points in his season-opener.
  • While Mid-America Christian has swept the season series in each of the last two seasons, all four contests between the two sides have been nail-biters with each game being decided by four points or less, which includes a pair of buzzer-beating wins at Wayland. In the last meeting inside the Gaulke on Jan. 11, the Evangels held off a late WBU comeback to seal the 71-67 win. Tarrence Gaines led MACU in that win with 21 points while Magok Manyang added a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards.

Oklahoma Panhandle State

• Record: 2-10 (0-7 SAC)
• Last Game: Won vs. Paul Quinn (Texas) – 78-70 – Jan. 4, 2026 – Goodwell, Okla.
• Series vs MACU (2018-): MACU leads 8-6
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 53-42 – Feb. 22, 2025 – Goodwell, Okla.
• Series Streak: MACU won 1
• Players to Watch:
  • Christian Campbell – JR – G
    • 214 Points (17.8 ppg), 73-187 FG (39.0%), 35-102 3FG (34.3%), 33-45 FT (73.3%), 57 Reb (4.8 rpg), 57 Reb (4.8 rpg), 15 Assists (1.3 apg)
  • Aaron Williams Jr. – SR – G
    • 210 Points (17.5 ppg), 71-177 FG (40.1%), 37-97 3FG (38.1%), 31-40 FT (77.5%), 48 Reb (4.0 rpg), 30 Assists (2.5 apg)
  • Jacob Taitte – SR – F
    • 100 Points (8.3 ppg), 36-80 FG (45.0%), 28-39 FT (71.8%), 82 Reb (6.8 rpg)
• Team Notes:
  • Oklahoma Panhandle State has had a rough start to the 2025-26 campaign, losing 10 of its first 11 games. However, the Aggies started off the New Year on more positive footing after picking up a 78-70 win over Paul Quinn in non-conference play on Sunday inside Anchor D Arena.
  • The biggest struggle for the Aggies has come on the offensive end as OPSU ranks last in the SAC in scoring offense (64.8 ppg), shooting a league-worst 39.0 percent from the field, but ranking eighth in three-point shooting (34.2 percent) as well as in the middle of the pack in free throw shooting with the seventh-best clip at 69.6.
  • OPSU has not fared much better on the defensive end, allowing the second-most points in the conference at 82.5 ppg while the opposition is posting a 46.4 percent shooting clip and notching the highest three-point percentage in the league at 39.3 percent.
  • OPSU's offense primarily runs through the guard duo of Christian Campbell and Aaron Williams Jr. The tandem enters Thursday's tilt at USAO with the fourth and sixth-best scoring averages in the SAC at 17.8 ppg and 17.5 ppg respectively. Senior forward Jacob Taitte also ranks third in the SAC in rebounding, yanking down 6.8 boards per game.
  • The two teams split last year's season series on each other's home courts as the Evangels will be looking to avenge a heartbreaking loss inside the Gaulke last season. After OPSU came up with a steal and buzzer-beating layup in a heartbreaking 85-84 defeat on Jan. 9, 2025, MACU defensively dominated OPSU on its Senior Night with a 53-42 win inside Anchor D Arena on Feb. 22, 2025. Josiah Fulcher led MACU in the last win with 16 points and 10 boards while Keeshawn Mason chipped in 16 points as well.