The Basics
Score: Evangel 76, Baker 75 (OT)
Records: Evangel (9-10, 8-6), Baker (7-8, 5-6)
Location: Ashcroft Center

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Evangel rallied from a nine-point, second-half deficit to force overtime, then held Baker without a field goal for the final four minutes of the extra period to claim a 76-75 Heart of America Athletic Conference victory over the Wildcats Monday evening at the Ashcroft Center.

Josh Pritchett scored eight of his 17 points over the final seven minutes of regulation, including a pair of game-tying free throws with 8.4 seconds to play to send the contest to overtime. Chris Stocks led the EU offense with a season-high 20 points and turned in two critical go-ahead buckets in overtime.

EU erased a 60-51 deficit with a 17-6 scoring run to take a 68-66 lead 1:32 to play, then bounced back force the extra time after BU scored four straight points in the span of 17 seconds to claim a two-point advantage. In overtime, Baker took a 72-70 lead on a Jalen Patterson basket with 4:06 to go, before the Crusader defense locked down the proceedings to allow just three BU free throws the rest of the way. The Wildcats went just 1-for-7 from the floor in overtime, missing their last six shots of the game.

Evangel tied the game on an Edriel Martinborough baseline jumper, then took the lead on a Stocks bucket with 2:32 remaining on the clock. After Braden Wiggs evened the score with two free throws, Stocks struck again with a floater in the lane to put the Crusaders in front for good.

EU had to overcome some shaky free-throw shooting down the stretch to wrap up a season sweep of BU. The Crusaders missed four-consecutive charity tosses in the last 30 seconds, but Martinborough came through with a defensive gem in the closing seconds to seal the win. Under tight defensive pressure, Patterson lost control of the basketball as he attempted to create space to release a potential go-ahead shot, and Pritchett came away with the loose ball as time expired.

The Crusaders shot just 0.158 from three-point range and 0.550 from the foul line, but connected on 43.1 percent of their field-goal attempts in beating Baker for the fifth-straight time.

Evangel led by as many as seven points in the opening minutes of the contest, using a pair of Cade Coffman buckets and a Pritchett trey to claim the early edge. Stocks, who went 5-of-6 from the floor in the first half, added a jumper to help EU build an 11-4 advantage.

But the Wildcats answered with a 12-2 run, taking advantage of two Kobe Buffalomeat baskets and a Tyler White three to take their first lead of the night with 8:33 left in the half.

Baker ultimately took a 32-31 edge to close an opening half that featured four ties and eight lead changes. After starting the game just 3-of-11 from the floor, Baker closed the stanza on a hot streak, hitting eight of its last 11 field-goal tries. The Crusaders also heated up, finishing the half 12-of-31 (0.387) from the field after starting the contest just 5-of-18.

After Coffman tied the game with a free throw to open the second-half scoring, the Wildcats took control with a 12-4 spurt to establish a 44-36 lead. Two Wiggs buckets in the paint and a Patterson three highlighted the run, before a Xavier Elam three-point play stretched the margin to nine points with 13:44 to play.

Elam led all scorers with 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting, while Wiggs added 17 and Patterson chipped in with 15 for BU.

UP NEXT
Evangel embarks on a two-game road swing to close out the month of January, beginning with a Wednesday (Jan. 27) evening contest against the Park Pirates in Parkville, Mo.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, follow the Crusaders on Facebook at Facebook.com/EUAthletics, Twitter (@EUAthletics), or visit EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the new Evangel Crusaders GamedayApp through Google Play. 

—EvangelAthletics.com—