The Basics

Score: (RV) Evangel 60, Tabor 54

Location: Springfield, Mo. (AGFinancial Arena) 

Records: Evangel (5-1, 3-0), Tabor (3-5, 1-2) 

Box Score 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Evangel returned home on Saturday (Nov. 22) afternoon, taking on the Tabor College Bluejays, a team that the Valor had never defeated (0-3 against). Despite trailing for most of the game, Evangel fought and outscored Tabor by 12 in the final quarter of play, taking a 60-54 win over the Bluejays, behind a 29 point outing from Cassidy Hambelton.

Cassidy Hambelton and Carson Dillard opened the game with baskets to give EU a 4-0 lead, before Tabor tied the game up. Leading 8-7 with 3:27 left in the quarter, Tabor closed the period out on a 11-2 run to take a 18-10 lead over the Valor.

Tabor and Evangel traded baskets in the second quarter, but the Bluejays would take a 14-point lead over EU, their largest of the contest, with 2:31 remaining in the first half. A Dillard three pointer would stop the Bluejays run, but EU trailed 37-24 at the halftime break.

Hambelton and Dillard did most of the work in the third quarter to begin chipping away at the Tabor lead. Trailing by eight, Heaven Shockley converted an old-fashioned three point play, followed by a Dillard layup to narrow the deficit to three, 43-40. Three straight Tabor free throws to close the third quarter made it a 48-42 game at the end of the quarter, in favor of the Bluejays.

Back-to-back Hambelton baskets followed by a jumper from Shockley tied the game up at 48-48, as momentum began to swing in EU's favor. With the game tied at 50, Alyssa McCarty scored three consecutive points to give EU a 53-50 lead, that Hambelton extended to 57-50 with under a minute remaining. Tabor scored baskets, but were forced to foul Hambelton and Dillard, who both knocked down free throws as EU took a 60-54 comeback victory on Saturday.

QUOTABLE 

"I'm proud of our fight today. We reset ourselves at halftime and rose to the occasion, behind the leadership of Cassidy Hambelton," stated Head Coach Madi Wallace. "We know what to work on heading into some non-conference matchups next week."

NOTABLE 

• Cassidy Hambelton led Evangel with 29 points in the win.

• Heaven Shockley and Kamie Jenkins both pulled down 13 rebounds in the win.

• Hambelton and Ali Kamies passed off a team high four assists each.

• Shockley blocked four shots on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Evangel WBB returns back to the road, taking on the Stephens Stars in Columbia, Missouri, on Tuesday (Nov. 25) evening at 5:30 p.m.

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.