Men's basketball stays in first place tie with win at #24 Culver-Stockton

Game Summary

Canton, Mo – Evangel forward Zack Kleine scored  a career high 26 as 13^th ranked Evangel won at 24^th ranked Culver-Stockton 76-66 Saturday in Canton, Mo.

Kleine had 15 points in the first half and ended the going 6 for 13 from the field, 4 for 4 from three-point and 10 for 11 from the free throw line.

Stephen Cotten added 12 points and 9 rebounds while J.J. Williams had 11 points and five assists.

Culver-Stockton’s Marshawn Norris led the Wildcats with 19.

Evangel led 39-28 at halftime and took a 16-point early in the second half. A 14-4 run by the Wildcats had them pull within three with 2:28 remaining. A three-point play by Josh Veurink and a three-pointer by Williams put the Crusader up by nine.

The win is Evangel’s fifth straight while they improved to 13-4 and 6-1 in the Heart of America conference. Culver-Stockton lost at home for the first time this season falling to 14-5 and 5-2 in the league.

Evangel plays at MidAmerica Nazarene on Thursday in a game to decide sole possession of first place in the conference. Both teams will enter the game with 6-1 league marks. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. in Olathe, Kan.

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