Box Score Springfield, Mo. – On a night MidAmerica Nazarene could have clinched the Heart of America conference regular season title, Evangel stunned the 10th ranked Pioneers with an 83-59 win at the Ashcroft Center on Wednesday.
Evangel started the game on an 8-2 run and never trailed. In the closing seconds of the first half, Richard Chapman hit a jumper and the Pioneers' in-bounds pass that followed was stolen by Jalen Norman who immediately converted a lay-up just before the horn sounded giving the Crusaders a 45-31 lead.
MidAmerica Nazarene pulled within nine points of the lead with 12:25 remaining, but Nick Yocum hit a three-pointer on the next possession sparking a 16-4 Evangel run that put the game out of reach.
"We really played well defensively," said Evangel head coach Steve Jenkins. "(MidAmerica Nazarene) averages 92 points per game in the conference and we held them to 59. I was really happy for Billy Thompson, our only senior. In his last game at home, he played well on both ends of the floor and that was key for us in closing out his home career with a victory."
Evangel's Cody Geiger led all scorers with 18 points. Jalen Norman had 14 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocked shots for the Crusaders while Thompson finished the game with 11 points and 7 boards.
Nick Syrie led the Pioneers with 13 points. The Pioneers went 0 for 10 from three-point range and committed 19 turnovers.
The loss snapped a 13 game winning streak for the MIdAmerica Nazarene who hadn't lost since Jan. 9. The win ended a six game losing streak for Evangel.
The Crusaders raised their record to 7-22 and 6-15 in the Heart of America conference. The Pioneers dropped to 22-7 and 16-5. MidAmerica Nazarene also fell into a three-way tie for first place with William Penn and Peru State as the regular season ends on Saturday.
Evangel ends their season on Saturday at 18th ranked Peru State for a 4 p.m. tipoff in Peru, Nebraska.
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