Men's Basketball: Secures Thrilling Comeback Victory Over Mid-America Christian

Men's Basketball: Secures Thrilling Comeback Victory Over Mid-America Christian
January 9, 2025

Goodwell, OklaThemen'sbasketball team won an 85-84 comeback victory over the Mid-America Christian University Evangels. They overcame a 15-point deficit and harsh winter conditions that pushed tip-off to 7:00 PM.

The Aggies struck first with a jumper by Amaree Brown just seconds into the game, but the Evangels responded with a dominant first-half performance. Trailing by as much as 16 points, the Aggies clawed their way back to close the gap to 45-37 at halftime, led by key plays from Raul Nunez, who drained a crucial three-pointer with 3:14 left in the half.

In the second half, the Aggies faced another uphill battle, falling behind by 10 points with just over four minutes to play. Refusing to back down, they embarked on a thrilling 9-2 run, fueled by AmareeBrown'srelentless effort on both ends of the court. With 1:29 remaining, Brown scored a layup and converted a free throw to bring the Aggies within two points, 80-78.

The Evangels answered with a three-pointer by Juwan White to push their lead to 83-78 with just 35 seconds left. The Aggies, however, were not done. PJ Daniels sliced through the defense for a layup, cutting the lead to three. After a missed free throw by the Evangels, Brown knocked down a three-pointer to make it 84-83 with just 16 seconds on the clock.

TheAggies'defense came up big in the final moments. Brown stole the ball with four seconds remaining and soared to the basket for a game-winning dunk, securing a remarkable 85-84 victory.

This marks the first time since 2010 that the Aggies have started 3-1 in conference play heading into the new year. The last time the Aggies won three straight conference games was in 2019; thelast time the Aggies beat the Evangles on the road was on 11/18/2021.

By the Numbers:

  • Amaree Brown: 22 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals, including the game-winning steal and dunk.
  • Raul Nunez: 21 points on a red-hot 7-for-11 shooting from beyond the arc.
  • Kyle Belgrave II: 17 points, 9 rebounds, and a crucial block in crunch time.
  • Team Shooting: The Aggies shot 49.1% from the field and an impressive 46.4% from three-point range, including 54.6% from beyond the arc in the second half.
  • Bench Contributions: TheAggies'bench scored 28 points, highlighted by Kyle BelgraveII'sstellar performance.

Team Highlights:

  • Points in the Paint: 20
  • Bench Points: 28
  • Points off Turnovers: 13
  • Second-Chance Points: 12

After the win head coach Charles Beltstated "Wow!I'mextremely movedbecause ofhow big this week has been for OPSU! We are beginning to change the narrative! We BELIEVE! We arepurpose driven!Butmostimportantlywe are together!Ilove these guys! Mustneededtime off. We just played4games in 8 Days!"

Up Next

The Aggies (will look to keep their momentum going as they travel to McPherson, KS, to face Central Christian College (Kan.) on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 8:00 PM.