The Basics

Final: Evangel 92, William Woods 70 | Final Stats

Records: Evangel (2-3); William Woods (1-2)

Site: Ashcroft Center

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Valor WBB team hosted William Woods on Tuesday evening, after playing three consecutive road games. EU would dominate the majority of the game against a tough Owls squad, and take the victory, 92-70.

In the first quarter, it was evident that EU wanted to give the home fans a show. Evangel converted its first four field goal attempts over the first 2:15, including back-to-back 3-point field goals by Zoey Mullings, to build a 10-0 lead. The Owls would not be stopped easily though, going on a 9-2 run to trail by three with 4:42 remaining in the first. EU would proceed to go on a 7-0 run to push the lead back to 10, and then back and forth play the remainder of the quarter would give the Valor a 29-22 edge at the end of the first quarter. Bayley Harman and Mullings led the Valor with 6 points a piece at the end of the first.

The second quarter consisted of more back and forth play between both teams. EU could not build their lead and WWU could not cut the EU lead, as both teams would continue to trade baskets. EU would score an Abby Wildermuth three to end their second quarter scoring, leading the Owls, 50-39. Harman led EU with 13 first-half points on 5-of-11 shooting. All 10 EU players who saw first-half action scored for the Valor. EU connected on 46.5-percent (20-of-43) of its first-half shots, including 8-of-17 from beyond the arc, but the Owls would shoot better, hitting on 53.6-percent of its first-half field-goal attempts.

The third quarter saw William Woods fight and begin a comeback against the Valor. William Woods used a 15-2 third-period scoring run to wipe out a 13-point Valor lead, tying the game up at 56 a piece with 4:06 remaining in the third. This would be the closest that the game would get for William Woods, as EU would go on a 10-1 run to end the third quarter, leading 66-57 at the buzzer.

The fourth was all Evangel. EU would score six of the first eight points of the fourth to stretch the lead to double-digits once again, and would not look back. The Valor would put the game away with a 15-1 run that ultimately led to an 87-63 cushion—the Valor's largest lead of the night. A Makayla McVay three would cap off the scoring for the Valor, giving them a 92-70 win to move to 2-3 on the season.

Evangel went 37-of-79 from the floor, for its best shooting night since Oct. 30, 2020 against Kansas Christian. Four EU players finished in double figures, led by Harman's 17 points; Kohnnar Patton added 14 points, while Alexis Roach chipped in 13 and Sophie Sparks scored 11. EU also benefited from a bench that combined to score 44 points. The Valor defense forced 25 turnovers and recorded 16 steals, led by three steals apiece from Wildermuth, Harman and Patton. Sarah Lwambo led all rebounders with 13 boards. Patton and Mullings each recorded four assists to lead EU. EU dominated the interior, outscoring WWU 44-24 in the paint for the game.

"It's always fun playing at home, especially coming off a three game road series," Valor head coach Preston Beverly stated, "I'm really proud of this team. We're continuing to grow with each game. William Woods shot very well from the three point line in the 1st half and we were able to make adjustments in the 2nd to prevent them from getting open looks. I like the progress we're making as a whole and look forward to playing in Kansas this weekend."

UP NEXT

Evangel will head to Sterling, Kansas, to face off against Southwestern College and No. 18 Sterling College this weekend. EU will take on Southwestern at 4:00 p.m. on Friday and Sterling at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play.  

—#OneValor—