COLUMBUS, Miss. – Senior guard Chris Evans was one assist shy of recording the first-ever triple double in Mississippi University for Women men’s basketball history, in leading his team to a 77-48 shellacking of Principia College in a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) win at home. Leading the game wire-to-wire, the Owls’ (7-11, 3-8 SLIAC) victory over the Panthers (4-14, 3-8 SLIAC) created a four-team logjam for the sixth – and final – spot for the league’s post-season tournament, with seven games still to be played. 

Evans finished his big night with 20 points, 12 rebounds (all off the defensive glass), and nine assists. His rebound and assist totals are both new career highs, while he also shot 8-for-12 from the floor – 4-of-8 from beyond the arc – versus PC. He also had two steals to his credit. 

Evans’ efforts keyed MUW’s dismantling of the Panthers from the outset. The Owls raced out to a 17-0 lead to open the game, before Principia finally scored its first point at 11:34 of the first half. The Owls held a comfortable 40-26 advantage at the intermission. 

Much of that quick start can be attributed to a suffocating MUW defense that produced eight steals and a season-high seven blocked Panthers’ shots. 

Tyson Smithey came off of MUW’s bench to tally 13 points. Senior post player Brye Hopkins added 12, and was 5-of-6 from the field, also corralling seven rebounds.  

Hopkins, Smithey, and Cam Smith each had a pair of blocks. Dariun Doss had the Owls’ other rejection. 

MUW posted great shooting numbers across the board, as well. The Owls shot 58 percent (31-54) from the floor, 50 percent (10-20) from three-point range, and 83 percent (5-6) from the free throw stripe. MUW’s 24 assists was the squad’s third-straight game with 20 or more.  

MUW will play its fifth-consecutive home game on Saturday when it hosts Fontbonne University at 3 p.m. inside Pohl Gym.