SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Valor Men's Basketball earned an at-large bid in the NAIA National Tournament and is set to take on the two-seeded Florida Memorial Lions in the opening round on Friday (Mar. 15) evening.
Tip-off for Friday's game is set for 5:30 p.m. as the Valor look to survive and advance and pull off an upset against one of the top eight teams in the nation.
SERIES HISTORY
Evangel and Florida Memorial have matched up just once, back in Evangel's 2001-02 national championship season where head coach Bert Capel was a player earning a win, 80-68.
OPENING STORYLINES
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Evangel earned a 15-seed in the 2023-24 NAIA National Tournament last Thursday and is set to take on the 2-seeded Florida Memorial Lions at 5:30 p.m. on Friday (Mar. 14) evening in Waxahachie, Texas.
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Valor Men's Basketball fell in their most recent matchup, 72-78, against Saint Mary in the KCAC Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
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Evangel joins three other teams from the KCAC to earn bids in the national tournament (OKWU, Kansas Wesleyan, Southwestern)
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Jace Coffie led the Valor in their last game, scoring 19 points, tying his career high in the 72-78 loss.
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The last time Evangel and Florida Memorial matched up, Evangel was victorious, 80-68, in the 2001-02 national championship season.
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Evangel concluded their regular season with 18 wins, as head coach Bert Capel took his 63rd career win against nationally ranked OKWU.
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Four Valor athletes average double digit scoring so far this season, with Josh Pritchett leading the charge with 16.0 points per game.
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Pritchett ranks in the EU record book in several different categories. Josh currently is 2nd in Evangel history in assists (555) and steals (230), 4th in scoring (2,012), 5th in three point makes (219), as well as 6th in blocks (76).
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Bryce Hunt has had a strong season defensively for the Valor, currently with 38 blocks this season, which is 10th in EU history in a single season, as well as 10th in EU history in blocks in a career with 60.
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Evangel makes their third consecutive trip to the national tournament, all of which have come under three year head coach Bert Capel.
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Evangel is 8-5 in first round matchups in the NAIA National Tournament and is 1-1 under head coach Bert Capel (loss to Florida College in '22, win against Iowa Wesleyan in '23).
LOOKING AHEAD
With a win, Evangel Men's Basketball will take on either sister school #7 SAGU or longtime Heart of America foe, #10 Baker at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday (Mar. 16) evening in Waxahachie, Texas. With a loss, the 2023-24 season will end for the Valor.
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.
