Story by: Mike Bennett, Special to Evangel AthleticsÂ
Megan Leuzinger has strong reasons to be optimistic about improving on an impressive 19-win first season as coach at Evangel University.
They include a quality corps of returning players with winning pedigrees. They include eight promising freshmen. They include speed and versatility.
They include a returning NAIA All-American in senior guard Lexie Vaught, who led Evangel last season with 16.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.1 steals per game. Her 112 steals ranked third nationally in the NAIA and were the third most in Evangel women’s history.
She also finished on a strong note, with 20 or more points in four of Evangel’s last five games.
The only number that really matters to Vaught is victories. It’s safe to say that the possibility is well above 20 in her senior season.
“I don’t pay attention to the stats,” she says. “I just want to win. That’s what I am here for.”
Leuzinger believes Vaught will have a special season as a player — and in a stepped-up role as a leader. “She has worked so hard this offseason, and she has also blossomed into being more of a vocal leader for us,” Leuzinger says. “She has always been a leader with her actions, but she is now starting to take people under her wing and help them, which has been neat to see.”
Vaught is one of three Evangel seniors who played on the Crane High School team that won a state record-tying four consecutive Missouri basketball titles.
The coach of those players during their AAU career, Allen Wilson, serves as an assistant for the Lady Crusaders.
Guard Kylee Moore joined Evangel as a freshman and forward Emma Lander joined after the Lady Crusaders’ volleyball season ended in 2018.
Moore started 28 games last season and averaged 8.8 points. She made 67 assists and 46 steals.
Lander played in 24 games and started 14. The 6-foot forward totaled 131 rebounds and 151 points.
Vaught transferred to Evangel after two seasons playing for Drury University. “I love the opportunity to play with my friends again — on an off the court,” Vaught said following a home victory late last season. “We still have chemistry. We know everyone’s go-to move. That helps a lot.”
Guard Brianna Vogts was second in scoring and rebounding (10.7 ppg and 6.3 rpg) in her freshman season. She converted on 48 percent of her field-goal attempts. “We expect (her) to pick up where she left off last season,” Leuzinger says. “She has an uncanny knack of rebounding, and mixes it up well inside.”
Other returnees include senior forward Anne Marie Anibal of Jasper (4.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg), junior guard Desi Ennis of Purdy, sophomore guard Bayley Harman of Walnut Grove (7.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and sophomore Gabby Mathews of Glendale High School in Springfield.
“I think we have the potential to have a really good season,” Leuzinger says. “We have a strong nucleus of girls returning, and then we have added some key pieces to our program. We are hoping we have more depth.”
That depth should include help from some of the eight freshmen that have joined the Lady Crusaders. Leuzinger is looking for Sadie Chisum of Hartville to make a fast impact in the point-guard rotation.
“She is a great leader on the floor and distributes the ball very well. She also does a great job of scoring,” Leuzinger says. “Honestly, we are expecting big things from a lot of people. We also think (freshmen) Alexis Roach, Alexis Cauthon, Courtney Austin, and Taylor Arnold will be able to contribute this season as well.”
The freshmen additions bring more quickness to the floor. “We also have brought in girls who can play multiple positions, so we are excited to utilize their versatility in various defensive schemes and offensive sets,” Leuzinger says.
Evangel was streaky last season, finishing 19-11 overall and 14-10 in the Heart Conference (a tie for fourth). The Lady Crusaders opened at 5-0 and finished the regular season at 7-0.
In between, they hit a rough patch just after the Christmas break, losing their first four games in January.
Evangel opens on Nov. 1 at Mid-America Christian in Oklahoma City, then plays Nov. 5 at College of the Ozarks before its first home game on Nov. 12 against John Brown.
The Lady Crusaders open league play at Mount Mercy on Nov. 16.
Evangel finished sixth in the preseason poll for the conference. Central Methodist was first, followed by MidAmerica Nazarene, Clarke, William Penn, and Benedictine.
Leuzinger says for the Lady Crusaders “to contend for a Heart title, we are going to have to be detail-oriented. We cannot take a possession off defensively, and we need to limit second-chance opportunities. Offensively, we need to be able to take care of the ball and be smart with our decisions. This group has the potential to have a very special season this year.”
