SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Valor Men's Basketball opens their 2024-25 season on Friday (Nov. 1) evening, hosting the (RV) Columbia College Cougars in AGFinancial Arena.
Tip-off for Friday's game is set for 7:30 p.m. as the Valor look to take a win over the Cougars who were receiving votes in the first NAIA Top 25 Coaches Rating of the season. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here, or at the gate, card only.
SERIES HISTORY
Evangel and Columbia will match up for the 13th time in program history on Friday. Columbia leads the series, 7-5, over Evangel, as the Valor fell on the road last season, 71-78.
OPENING STORYLINES
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Evangel Men's Basketball opens their 67th season on Friday (Nov. 1) evening, hosting the Columbia College Cougars at 7:30 p.m. in the brand new AGFinancial Arena.
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Evangel finished 21-11 last season, making a late Cinderella run as a 15-seed in the national tournament and ultimately falling in the NAIA Elite Eight to the 2022-23 national champions, Grace College.
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The Valor return several starters including KCAC Honorable Mention All-Conference Garrett Davault, who averaged 13.7 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game.
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Also returning for Evangel is Manrique Alvarado (8.4 ppg), Josh Mason (10.4 ppg), Carson Cavalier (6.6 ppg), and Stephen Salvi (4.1 ppg)
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Evangel brings several newcomers to the fold in the 2024-25 season, including transfers Kent Carroll, Bryce Ware, and Dane Foster.
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The Valor host five consecutive home games to open the season and will hit the road for their first match on November 23rd in Hillsboro, Kansas.
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The Valor fell in their home opener last season to USAO, looking to take their first home opening win since 2022-23.
LOOKING AHEAD
Evangel hosts longtime rival, College of the Ozarks, on Tuesday (Nov. 5) evening at 7:30 p.m. in AGFinancial Arena.
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.
