OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University Lady Evangels celebrated on New Year's Eve with an 89-48 rout of the Bethel College Lady Threshers today (Dec. 31) inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
The victory moves the Lady Evangels to 11-2 overall on the season.
Rodriguez scored eight of the Lady Evangels' last 10 points of the first quarter as MACU led 21-12 at the end of one period.
It was a 12-point lead midway through the second quarter when the Lady Evangels used a 17-3 burst to take a commanding 45-19 lead before settling for a 45-22 edge at the break.
Rodriguez and Brittany Thompson each scored 10 points and Mikki Flores had six of her career-high tying 11 assists to help the Lady Evangels control the opening half.
The Lady Evangels continued to pull away in the second half, outscoring the Lady Threshers 23-12 in the third period and then extended the advantage to a game-high 47 points on a layup by Flores at the 2:30 mark of the fourth period.
Rodriguez was the game's high-scorer with 21 points, followed by 17 points from Nevada Denton.
Thompson and Flores each scored 12, with Jamie Lamb pulling down a game-high eight rebounds for the Lady Evangels.
Karlie Schroeder was the lone Lady Thresher in double-figure scoring with 14 points.
The Lady Evangels out-rebounded the Lady Threshers 57-32 overall while limiting Bethel to only 29 percent (18-of-62) overall from the field and but 1-of-17 from three-point distance.
MACU will next resume action in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a tough test at No. 9-ranked Oklahoma City University next Thursday evening (Jan. 5). Tip-off is set for 6 pm at Abe Lemons Arena.
