The Basics

Score: (RV) Evangel 78, Stephens 70

Location: Columbia, Mo. (Silverthorne Arena) 

Records: Evangel (6-1), Stephens (1-7) 

Box Score 

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Evangel hit the road on Tuesday (Nov. 25) evening, taking on the Stephens College Stars, the defending AMC Regular Season Champions. Despite cold shooting to open the game and trailing by as much as 17 early in the third quarter, the Valor fought, storming back to force overtime and take a 78-70 road victory against the Stars, behind a 22 point outing from Ali Kamies.

Stephens jumped out to a seven point lead midway through the first quarter, 15-8, before Lydia Babirye scored four consecutive points to make it a 15-12 game. An Ali Kamies basket brought EU within a point of the lead, but the home team would finish the quarter on a 3-0 run to lead 18-14 at the end of the quarter.

The Stars outscored Evangel 16-6 in the second quarter, taking a 34-20 lead at halftime after the Valor shot just 18 percent in the quarter from the floor, with Kamies leading EU with eight points at the break.

An old-fashioned three point play by the Stars gave Stephens their largest lead of the game, 39-22, with 8:01 remaining in the third quarter. Cassidy Hambelton helped push Evangel back to trail by just single digits and a Babirye basket would give EU just a six point deficit, 46-40, but Stephens closed the quarter with a three, to force the Valor to trail, 49-40.

Stephens led by double digits with 8:52 remaining in the game, but Evangel began to turn up the intensity on both sides of the floor. Several turnovers and missed shots by the Stars helped EU dwindle the lead all the way down to just one point after an Alyssa McCarty three pointer, 59-58. Buckets by Kamies and Heaven Shockley pushed EU out to a three point lead, 62-59, but Stephens responded, retaking a three point lead with 18 seconds remaining, 66-63. Cassidy Hambelton would hit the front end of a pair of free throws and after a pair of free throw misses from Stephens, Evangel had one final chance down two points. With just over one second remaining, a foul was called on Stephens during an inbound, as Carson Dillard was hit trying to break through a screen. Dillard came to the line and nailed a pair of free throws to tie the game up at 66. Stephens would hit a shot that was released just late of the buzzer, forcing an overtime period.

Evangel dominated overtime, not allowing a single field goal in the period, as Stephens scored just four points on free throws. Dillard, Shockley, and Kamies did all the scoring in overtime, as EU escaped with another come from behind win, 78-70.

QUOTABLE 

"After tough first half shooting, we made the commitment to get stops and get to the rim," stated Head Coach Madi Wallace. "Emma Mullings and Alyssa McCarty gave us a great lift to ignite that defensive fire and Ali Kamies was our rock on the offensive end. Ali hit her 1000th career point tonight and we are so proud of her!"

NOTABLE 

• Ali Kamies led Evangel with 22 points and six steals in the win.

• Heaven Shockley pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked three shots in the win.

• Cassidy Hambelton passed off a team high four assists.

• Kamies recorded her 1000th career point (Rockhurst/Evangel) in the second quarter of play on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Evangel WBB continues their road trip, taking on NCAA D-II University of Central Missouri at 1:00 p.m. in Warrensburg, Mo., on Saturday (Nov. 29) afternoon in an exhibition matchup.

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