The Basics
Score: #15 Evangel 90, #10 Baker 68
Records: Evangel (20-10); Baker (23-10)
Location: Waxahachie, Texas (Sheaffer Center)
Box Score
 
WAXAHACHIE, Texas – Evangel sophomore Garrett Davault helped will the Valor men's basketball team to the NAIA Round of 16 with a 90-68 victory over Baker on Saturday evening.
 
The Valor knocked off former Heart of America Athletic Conference foe Baker University to advance past the second round of the NAIA Tournament for the first time since 2002. The win moves Evangel to the NAIA Final Site in Kansas City next Thursday, March 21, where they await their opponent.
 
Davault finished with a season-high 30 points as he went 10 of 15 from the field and 10 of 12 from the free throw line. The sophomore from Norwood, Missouri, helped the Valor regain the lead after a pair of free throws 40 seconds into the game gave Evangel a 4-2 lead.
 
Evangel followed up its solid first round defensive effort with a second strong defensive showing holding the Wildcats to just 38 percent shooting from the field. The Valor were solid on the flip side shooting 52 percent despite going just 3 of 14 from the three-point line.
 
Bryce Hunt would break a 19-19 tie at the 9:02 mark as the senior was the second-leading scorer for the Valor with 13 points. Hunt added six rebounds as nine of his points came in the first half.
 
Evangel took a 40-35 lead into the locker room at halftime as Davault and Hunt helped EU start the half on a 13-2 run. The Wildcats would get buckets from Quentin Harvey and Noah Rigatuso to stop the run, however, Baker only managed to pull within five as the Valor started to pull away over the final 10 minutes.
 
Harvey led Baker with 26 points, while Rigatuso added 20 points.
 
Evangel out-rebounded the former conference rival 38-32, as Jace Coffie pulled down a game-high 10 boards. Coffie also finished in double figures for the Valor adding 12 points off the bench.
 
The win advances Evangel to the NAIA Round of 16 for the first time since 2015, but is the first time Evangel has won two consecutive games in the national tournament since 2002. Head Coach Bert Capel helped lead the 2002 team to the NAIA National Championship as the Valor make their seventh trip to Kansas City and first since the new NAIA format of the top 16 teams advancing to the final site.
 
Capel improves to 3-2 in NAIA Postseason action as Evangel wins its 20th game to improve to 20-10. Capel also moves his overall record to 65-29 in just three seasons at Evangel.
 
Evangel will face the winner of No. 3 seed Montana Tech and No. 11 seed Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) next Thursday, March 21. Game times will be announced later by the NAIA. For more NAIA Tournament information visit the NAIA postseason tournament website here.

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.