MACU News
 
Thu, Jan 26, 2012 - [Men's Basketball]
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Mid-America Christian University Evangels pulled out a thrilling, 85-82 victory over the visiting Northwestern Oklahoma State University Rangers in Sooner Athletic Conference action Thursday night (Jan. 26) at the Gaulke Activity Center. 
 
A hook by George Haynes snapped a 78-78 tie and a jumper by Camilo Valencia followed that to give the Evangels a four-point lead with 1:08 remaining.
 
The Rangers weren't done though as a three by Eze Akwari cut the lead to one with 42 seconds left.
 
After Valencia split a pair at the line, the Evangels got a defensive stop and the Rangers were whistled for an intentional foul at the five second mark.
 
Cameron Langster then made one of the two free throws and split two more at the charity stripe for an 85-81 lead with four seconds left. 
 
Akwari was then fouled with one second left, made the first freebie but missed the second that was rebounded by Charlie Shorter to give the Evangels the victory. 
 
The Evangels started out slow as the Rangers scored the first nine points of the game. 
 
MACU quickly closed to within three on a jumper by Brandon Williams, but the Rangers later stretched the lead out to 11 on a layup by Jonathan Freemyer and a three from Marshall Bell that made it 34-23 with 4:41 remaining in the opening half. 
 
Four points each from Valencia and Shorter helped the Evangels surge to within two and then a buzzer-beating three by Reggie Davis gave MACU a 37-36 lead at the half. 
 
Shorter paced the Evangels with 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field.  Haynes had 14 and a team-high eight rebounds, while Valencia scored 15 and dished out a team-best four assists. 
 
Freemyer led all scorers with 25 points and also recorded a game-high 10 boards.  Jeremy Felton scored 18 and Bell had 17, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc for the Rangers.
 
After a sluggish start offensively, the Evangels shot 57.6 percent (19-of-33) in the second half. 
 
The Evangels were out-rebounded 47-32 overall, but offset that by forcing 25 turnovers. 
 
MACU will now hit the road for the first time since Jan. 5, with a matchup at Oklahoma Christian on Saturday evening (Jan. 28) at 5 p.m. in Edmond, Okla. 
 
The Evangels concluded this six-game homestand with a 4-2 mark, including a 73-67 victory over then No. 5-ranked Rogers State back on Jan. 7.