Coming off the winningest season in program history, the Mid-America Christian women's basketball team has reloaded with some big time talent with nine student-athletes joining the Evangels for the 2022-23 campaign.
Of the nine signees, six of the incoming players are collegiate transfers, five of which competed at the NCAA Division I and Division II levels while three high school stars will be entering the program.
One of those NCAA Division I standouts is Shy Christopher, a 5-9 redshirt sophomore guard from Jacksonville, Ark. After redshirting her freshman season for Southeast Missouri State, Christopher put together a solid rookie campaign for the Redbirds, averaging 6.7 points on 43.5 percent shooting to go with 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 16 appearances and nine starts.
"Shy is a proven dynamic scorer," said MACU head coach Hannah Moeller. "Her athleticism and length fit our style of play very well. I anticipate Shy to create a lot of problems for other teams and I can't wait to celebrate her doing it. More importantly, she has already made an incredible impact on our campus and team with her infectious personality and genuine joy for life. Her three years on-campus are going to be special."
A 5-10 junior guard from Stillwater, Okla., Jaci Littell brings some strong experience to MACU after helping lead NCAA Division II Central Oklahoma to three straight winning seasons. Seeing action in 79 games and 50 starts, Littell scored 526 points on 34 percent shooting from the field, 31.8 percent from the three-point arc and converted 78.5 percent of her free throw attempts. Littell also provided a great floor game for the Bronchos, pulling down 251 boards (3.2 rpg) to go with 143 assists and 66 steals.
"Jaci's skill set meshes within our offense very well," Moeller remarked. "She can really shoot it, is great at the rim and has an incredibly high IQ. Jaci is battle tested and brings a real toughness to our team. After three great years competing in an elite Division II conference, we truly believe her best basketball is ahead of her."
Another high-level NCAA Division II competitor, graduate student forward Whitney Outon comes to MACU after competing for the Cameron Aggies for four seasons. Playing in 104 games during her collegiate career at CU, Outon is coming off her best season in leading the Aggies to a 17-11 record, including an 11-5 mark in one of the toughest leagues in Division II in the Lone Star Conference. In 26 starts, Outon averaged 8.6 ppg on 35.6 percent from the field and was a big that could stretch the court, knocking down 42-of-130 (32.3 percent) from the three-point arc. Outon also averaged 4.6 rpg and 1.3 apg while blocking 22 shots and tallying 28 steals.
"Whit is super skilled," Moeller stated. "She can really pass it and shoot it. Whit knows what it takes to win, is an incredible communicator and is very selfless. She embodies the type of young person any coach dreams of having on their team. For four years, she has won a ton of games in a great D-II league and had tons of personal success. The fit within our program is perfect."
Another Lone Star Conference competitor, Alexis Borgstadt makes her way to MACU after playing for NCAA D-II Oklahoma Christian during the 2021-22 season. The 5-10 sophomore forward competed in 23 games and made two starts during her freshman campaign, scoring 93 points on 36.9 percent shooting offensively. The Verdigras, Okla. native provided a spark for the Eagles on the defensive end, tallying 23 steals in 368 minutes of on-court action.
"Lexi is a strong guard who finishes really well at the rim," said Moeller. "We're really impressed by Lexi's basketball intelligence and how well she uses her strength to win her space on the floor. On-top of being a great finisher, Lexi has proven to be a good perimeter shooter and we feel strongly that our offense is a great fit for her strengths. Lexy has some real fighter in her, which makes her so fun to coach."
Another NCAA Division I transfer coming in from Oral Roberts, Tyaija Coleman is another explosive guard that provides the Evangels some talented depth and experience at the wing. The 5-8 junior guard from Houston was a strong contributor for the Golden Eagles during her freshman year in 2020-21, competing in 19 games and making eight starts.
"Ty is probably one of the most athletic kids I will ever coach," remarked Moeller. "She played a significant role as a freshman at ORU and we expect more of the same here at MACU. Offensively, she is extremely gifted in transition and is elite on the defensive end of the floor. She is incredibly intelligent. The sky is the limit for Ty."
The first of three high school signees, 6-0 forward Ashley Hopper will look to provide a big presence in the paint for the Evangels. The Little Rock, Ark. native helped guide Little Rock Christian Academy to a State Championship in 2019 and three conference titles while garnering an All-State accolade, an All-State Tournament Team honor and two-time All-Conference honoree while also being named to the National Honors Society.
"Ashley has a chance to be an incredible four-year player for us," Moeller added. "While she is great in the paint on both ends, what really struck us is her mobility and versatility. She is skilled, plays hard and uses her size and length very well. She comes from a high-level high school program and a great AAU organization. We expect huge things from Ashley and are ecstatic she's at MACU."
One of two Texas high school products to join MACU in 2022, 5-7 guard Ainsley Velasquez arrives at MACU after a strong four-year career playing for Randall High School in Amarillo, Texas. A First Team All-District player, Velasquez helped lead her squad to an Area Championship.
"Ainsley is a tall and physical guard with a world of potential," said Moeller. "She scored it really well in high school, has great size and is hungry to be coached. Her length and versatility is what makes her future so bright. It will be so fun to see her evolve over the next few years."
Rounding out the high school signees, the Evangels had added some championship pedigree to the squad. 5-7 guard Camryn Armes comes to MACU after leading Gruver High School to a perfect 25-0 season her senior year while going on to win the 2A State Championship. In 2020, Armes was named the State MVP and was named to the All-State Team.
"Cam is a winner," Moeller remarked. "She's played in multiple state title games in Texas, including being named MVP on last year's State Championship team, and understands what winning looks like. Cam's best offensive weapon is her ability to shoot it. She can really stretch the floor out and create space for others because of how well she shoots the ball."
Wrapping up the signing class, Hallie Reed adds some quality strength and depth for the Evangels at the guard position. The 5-7 wing competed for two seasons at Allen County Community College (Kan.), a program where she led the team in scoring during her freshman season. In 48 games with the Red Devils, the Vinita, Okla. native scored 361 points, which included a blistering 36 percent clip from the three-point arc and effectively converted 83.3 percent of her free throw attempts. Reed was also an effective contributor, finishing her Allen career with 83 assists.
"Hallie is an Oklahoma kid with two years of JUCO experience," said Moeller. "She shoots the three-ball very well and has a great basketball IQ. The daughter of a coach, she understands what it takes to compete and win. I am thrilled Hallie is on our team."
Mid-America Christian will officially tip-off the 2022-23 season with a home game against Paul Quinn (Texas) on Friday, Oct. 28. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
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