SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Evangel Men's Basketball opens their 70th season of competition on Tuesday (Oct. 27) night, taking on the Columbia College Cougars at 7:00 p.m. in AGFinancial Arena.
Please note, all seating in AGFinancial Arena is general admission EXCEPT seats marked with a black Evangel sticker that has the name of season ticket holders. Any individual sitting in a marked seat will be asked to move to an open, unpurchased seat. Season Passes remain on sale until tip-off of the first home women's basketball contest (Nov. 3rd @ 6 PM).
SERIES HISTORY
Evangel and Columbia match up for the 15th time on Tuesday, as the Cougars lead the all-time series, 8-6. The Valor fell in their most recent matchup to Columbia last season, 77-60.
OPENING STORYLINES
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Evangel is coming off a 19-11 season in 2025-26, falling in the KCAC Conference Tournament Semifinals to the Friends Falcons.
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The Valor return several key players this season, including Harrison Doennig, who averaged 9.4 points per game as a redshirt sophomore.
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Evangel will look to fill the departure of four year starter Garrett Davault, who led Evangel in scoring last season, as well as the loss of Drew McMillin (graduation) & Jake Lafferty (transfer).
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Bert Capel enters Tuesday's game with a 5-0 record on opening night, defeating the Cougars two years ago in their season opener, 99-95.
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Akarius Staten-Ballance, Luke Foster, Tommy Pinegar, Isaac Wootton, Cade Sutton, and Cole Griesemer all also return this season to the Valor squad.
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Clayton Garrison, the 1A Player of the Year in 2024-25 at Chadwick High School, will also aim to make an impact this season after redshirting his freshman year.
LOOKING AHEAD
Evangel remains at home next Monday (Nov. 2) evening, hosting the Faith Baptist Eagles at 5:30 p.m. in AGFinancial Arena.
For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, X (@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.
—#OneValor—
