The Basics

Score: #4 Evangel 72, #5 Saint Mary 78

Location: Springfield, Mo. (Ashcroft Center)

Records: Evangel (18-10); USM (18-11)

Box Score 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Evangel Men's Basketball qualified for the KCAC Conference Tournament, earning the fourth seed and playing host to the fifth seeded Saint Mary Spires. The Spires would come out with a strong offensive game plan and outscore Evangel in both halves, as EU could not fuel the comeback against the visitors, falling 78-72, in the final game to be played in the Ashcroft Center.

Saint Mary would lead early in the game on Thursday and a Jace Coffie tip in with 12:37 remaining would make it just a one-point Spire lead, 13-12. This would be the closest the Valor would come in the ball game, as the Valor would never lead on Thursday evening. Evangel would fight to keep the game close up until the halftime break, as the Spires did not have an answer for Jace Coffie in the post, making it a 37-32 game at the halftime break, in favor of the visiting Spires.

The second half was full of physical play, as the officials let both teams play in the paint. The Spires would jump out to a 12-point lead in the half, their largest of the game with 14:42 remaining in the game. Evangel would fight back, with several baskets coming from Coffie again in the paint. A three-pointer from Carson Cavalier with 10:03 remaining in the game would make it a 63-59 game, in favor of Saint Mary. The Spires would generate another late run, taking a 10 point advantage, but the Valor would continue to fight, getting the game down to just four points, 73-69, with 30 seconds remaining in the game on a Garrett Davault basket. Evangel would be forced to foul in the final possessions and the Spires would hit their free throws. Josh Pritchett would nail a three pointer on EU's final possession, the final basket made in the Ashcroft Center, as EU fell, 78-72.

QUOTABLE 

"I thought we had a great game plan going in tonight against Saint Mary, but I didn't think we executed it very well," head coach Bert Capel stated. "They (Saint Mary) played tougher than us. I think our resume is good enough to push us in the national tournament, but we will see."

NOTABLE 

• Jace Coffie led the Valor with 19 points in the loss. Coffie also pulled down a team high six rebounds.

• Josh Pritchett passed off a team high six assists.

• Evangel turned the ball over 16 times in the loss.

• The Valor shot 54.5 percent from the floor on Thursday.

NEXT UP 

Evangel Men's Basketball will await the selection committee's decision next Thursday (Mar. 7) to see if they did enough to qualify for the NAIA National Tournament.

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.