The Basics

Score: Evangel 71, Southwestern 68

Location: Winfield, Kan. (Stewart Fieldhouse) 

Records: Evangel (15-10, 13-6), Southwestern (3-18, 3-16) 

Box Score 

WINFIELD, Kan. -- With inclement weather in the forecast, Valor Women's Basketball hit the road a day early on Tuesday (Feb. 11) evening. Looking to earn their fifth straight win in conference play, EU took on the Southwestern College Moundbuilders and would escape from Winfield with a narrow win after a near comeback from the home team, 71-68.

Evangel and Southwestern played a tightly contested beginning of the first quarter, as EU led, 8-7, with five minutes remaining in the period. A basket from Alyssa McCarty and three from Carson Dillard helped EU jump out to a 13-7 lead over the Moundbuilders, but SWC matched each basket to put the game at 13-11. Four points from Ali Kamies and a basket from Ellison Mehrhoff to close out the quarter gave EU a 19-11 lead at the end of the quarter.

Balanced scoring in the second quarter by both teams saw Evangel take a 39-30 halftime lead. Four points from Lexi Berry, Emma Mullings, and Kamies, as well as five points from Dillard helped fuel Evangel in the quarter as EU extended their lead by a point.

Evangel and Southwestern traded baskets over the first six minutes of the third quarter until a Carson Dillard free throw make was followed by a basket from Resa Martin to give EU a 12-point lead. Dillard again went to the line and nailed both free throws to increase the Valor lead, 56-42, before Evangel capped off their run with a basket from Alyssa McCarty, ending the quarter on top, 58-46.

Southwestern opened the fourth quarter with a 6-2 run before Jazzy Kirby made a nice pass to Kamie Jenkins in the paint to stop the Moundbuilder run, putting the EU lead back to double digits, 62-52. Despite scoring a pair of baskets, a foul and ensuing technical foul on Evangel allowed a big swing on the scoreboard and momentum, as Southwestern trailed just 66-61. Jenkins quickly stopped the run with a score of her own, followed by a basket from Lexi Berry to push EU's lead to 70-61. Southwestern used a quick 5-0 run to draw within four points of the Evangel lead, 70-66, with 30 seconds remaining. After EU missed a pair of free throws, the Moundbuilders quickly scored, making it a 70-68 Valor lead. Again, the Valor struggled at the free throw line, missing another pair, but Berry was able to steal the ball away, giving EU another chance at free throws. Kirby was able to hit the back end of a pair of free throws to make the Valor lead, 71-68, with eight seconds remaining.

QUOTABLE 

"I'm thankful for today's win. It certainly was not a pretty ending, but our ladies hung tight and got the one stop we needed at the end. Go Valor!" stated Head Coach Jim Middleton.

NOTABLE 

• Carson Dillard led the Valor with 16 points in Tuesday's win.

• Ali Kamies (12 pts.), Kamie Jenkins (10 pts.), and Lexi Berry (10 pts.) rounded out double digit scoring for Evangel. 

• Jenkins pulled down eight rebounds in the win.

• Jazzy Kirby passed off a team high five assists.

UP NEXT 

Evangel competes in their final road contest of the regular season on Saturday (Feb. 15) afternoon, taking on the Bethany College Swedes in Bethany, Kan., at 1:00 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.