MACU News
 
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 - [Men's Basketball]
Oklahoma City, Okla. -- Despite trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half, the Mid-America Christian University Evangels fought back and turned up the heat defensively in the second half to knock off the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Drovers 84-75 in Sooner Athletic Conference action Thursday night (Jan. 19) at the Gaulke Activity Center. 
 
The Evangels trailed by six at the half but quickly came within one on five straight points from Charlie Shorter within the first 1:17 of the second half. 
 
Consecutive scores inside from Benjamin Berry and Trell Porter helped the Drovers jump back out to a seven-point lead at 53-46 at the 14:30 mark. 
 
After a jumper by Camilo Valencia and a three from the wing by Shorter cut the deficit to two, the Drovers built the lead back to double-figures with a 10-2 spurt that was capped by a trey from Javier Ramos for a 63-53 advantage. 
 
That's when the Evangels and Valencia in particular took over.  Valencia scored six points and recorded three steals to fuel a 22-1 explosion over the next six minutes that turned a 10-point deficit into a 76-64 cushion with 3:27 remaining. 
 
The Evangels maintained control from there as the closest the Drovers could get was 82-75 on two free throws by Kyle Hunt with 53 seconds left. 
 
Valencia then stepped to the line and iced the victory with a pair of his own at the charity stripe. 
 
The Evangels fought off a sluggish start as the Drovers opened the game on an 8-0 run sparked by six points from Berry. 
 
USAO got off to the quick start on the strength of securing the first eight rebounds of the game. 
 
The Drovers had expanded the lead to 19-7 when Shorter and George Haynes combined for eight points of a 9-0 charge that trimmed the lead to three. 
 
A layup from Hunt made it a five-point game again and the Drovers went on to lead 43-37 at the break. 
 
Shorter scored a team-high 22  points on 3-of-15 from the field but a perfect 15-of-15 at the charity stripe.  Valencia had a line of 20 points, four rebounds and four steals while shooting 8-of-9 at the free-throw line. 
 
Darius Gregory had 14 points and a game-high six steals, while Brandon Williams added 12 points.  Haynes chipped in with nine points and a team-best 10 rebounds.
 
Hunt led everybody with 25 points and 16 rebounds.  He shot 9-of-12 overall and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.  Berry had 14 points and nine boards for USAO. 
 
The Evangels (8-8, 3-8 SAC) shot only 26.7 percent (8-of-30) in the first half, but heated up to a blazing 53.6 percent (15-of-28) clip in the second. 
 
In contrast, the Drovers (10-6, 6-4 SAC) shot 36.8 percent in the first half, but were limited  even more to 31 percent (9-of-29) in the final 20 minutes. 
 
Each squad was solid overall at the foul line, with the Drovers shooting 96.2 percent (25-of-26) and the Evangels tallying a 85.7 percent (36-of-42) clip at the charity stripe. 
 
The Evangels were out-rebounded 46-36 overall but forced 28 turnovers on the night. 
 
Awaiting MACU will be a challenge against No. 14-ranked Southern Nazarene on Saturday evening (Jan. 21) at 5 p.m. inside the Gaulke Activity Center.  SNU nipped the Evangels 78-72 in the first meeting this season in Bethany, Okla.