The Basics

Score: (RV) Evangel 74, (RV) Columbia 82

Location: Springfield, Mo. (AGFinancial Arena) 

Records: Evangel (1-1), Columbia (2-0) 

Box Score 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Valor Women's Basketball hosted the Columbia College Cougars on Tuesday (Nov. 4) evening, looking to take a win against the reigning AMC champions and a team that was earning votes in the preseason NAIA Top 25 poll. Evangel would fight and nearly earn a comeback victory on Tuesday, but their effort would come up just short in a 82-74 loss.

Evangel and Columbia would both score baskets on their first possessions, as the 2-2 tie would be the only deadlock of the contest. The Cougars would match every basket Evangel could score in the first quarter, as the Valor trailed 16-13 heading into the second period.

Evangel shot just 29.4 percent in the second quarter, their lowest of the evening, as the Valor grew cold late in the period, while Columbia began hitting late three pointers. A 6-0 run at the end of the quarter for Columbia forced EU to trail, 41-27, at the halftime break.

The Valor took advantage of Columbia's worst shooting quarter by outscoring the Cougars by six points to trail by eight at the end of the period, 53-45. Ali Kamies began to warm up, scoring six points and the Evangel defense began to force turnovers in the full court press, slowly swinging momentum in their favor.

Columbia would take as much as a 13-point lead with just six minutes remaining in the game, before Evangel would generate a 10-2 run, with seven points coming from Kamies to trail by just five points, 68-63, with 2:52 remaining. The Valor had a chance to draw even closer in the quarter, but EU could not find the basket to cut into the lead. Columbia closed out the game with free throws, as the comeback attempt came up short, 82-74, on Tuesday.

QUOTABLE 

"We fought hard with a tough Columbia team," stated Head Coach Madi Wallace. "This is a loss we will learn from."

NOTABLE 

• Ali Kamies led Evangel with 24 points in the loss, 21 of which came in the second half.

• Kamie Jenkins led EU with nine rebounds on Tuesday.

• Cassidy Hambelton passed off a team high five assists and came away with five steals.

• Carson Dillard scored 13 points, rounding out double digit scoring for Evangel.

UP NEXT

Evangel WBB travels just south of Springfield to take on longtime rival C of O in Point Lookout at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday (Nov. 6) evening.

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.