The #6 ranked Thunder men's basketball team would play their final regular season game on Tuesday night against the #1 ranked Spurgeon Knights. The Thunder would play the Knights a little over a month ago where the Knights would need overtime to win, 117-111. On Tuesday night, the Thunder were hoping to knock off the number one team in NCCAA Division II. The Knights would start the game on a 5-0 run, but the Thunder would tie it up five different times with 12:47 remaining in the half. The Thunder would be down as much as nine with 3:35 left in the half, and would finish the half on a 5-0 run of their own to only trail 51-49 after 20 minutes. A stop and a bucket to start the second half would be as close as the Thunder would get it in the second half. The Knights would lead by as much as 11 and that would be the difference in the game once the final buzzer sounded. The final would be 96-85. Senior, Xavier Lucas would have a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while junior, Hunter Hill would have 21 points and four rebounds to pace the Thunder. The Thunder would shoot 39.5% from the field, 29.4% from the three-point line, and 66.7% from the free throw line. The Thunder would out-rebound the Knights, but could not overcome 24 turnovers and the 23 points off of those turnovers. The Thunder finish the regular season at 19-9 and have a NCCAA Central Region record of 9-3.

The Thunder will start postseason play on Thursday, February 20th at the Midwest Christian College Conference Tournament where they will play Barclay College. More information on the postseason will be released tomorrow.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on X and Instagram.

The Thunder women's and men's basketball teams would play their final home doubleheader of the season on Friday night against the Central Christian College of the Bible Saints where the men's team would honor their seniors at the conclusion of the game. The #9 ranked women's team would take the court first and would lead by one after the first quarter. The Lady Thunder would hold the Saints to five points in the second quarter to take a 10 point lead into the half. After three quarters, the Lady Thunder would lead 45-31. The Saints would outscore the Lady Thunder by five in the fourth, but it would not be enough to overcome the deficit and the Lady Thunder would sweep the Saints on the season with a 67-58 win. Freshman, Tahlia Morris would lead three double-digit scorers with 20 points. Fellow freshmen, Jasmine Holloway and Makenzie Lovett would be the other two to score at least 10 with 12 and 11 points, respectively. The Lady Thunder would shoot 35.9% from the field, 33.3% from the three-point line, and 75.0% from the free throw line. With the win, the Lady Thunder are now 13-12 overall, 6-4 in the Midwest Christian College Conference, and 5-3 in the NCCAA Central Region.

The Lady Thunder played again today to close out their regular season against Ecclesia College. They would win this game, 64-55. The story will come out later today. They will play their next game at the MCCC Tournament hosted by Calvary University on Thursday, February 20th at a to be determined time.

The #6 ranked men's basketball team would be celebrating Senior Night against the visitors from Central Christian College of the Bible. Seniors, Jaxon Hurla, Xavier Lucas, and Fred Criqui would be honored after the game. The Thunder would jump out to a 4-0 lead early in the first half, but would be in a back and forth battle for 20 minutes. The Saints took a five point lead with 10:46 left in the half, but the Thunder would look to take command with a 42-33 lead with 3:01 remaining. Over that three minute span, the Saints would go on an 8-2 run to close out the half. The Thunder would still lead 44-41. It would be a slow start to the half for both teams as neither could buy a basket. It would be tied at 60 with 6:04 left when the Thunder would hit four threes in a row to cap off a 25-8 run to finish the game and sweep the Saints on the season. The final would be 85-68 in favor of the Thunder. Hurla, Lucas, and Criqui would combine for 33 points and 22 rebounds. Lucas would have a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore, Tatum Pierce would lead the way with 23 points, six rebounds, and three blocks, while junior, Hunter Hill would have a double-double as well with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Thunder would hold the Saints to 25.0% shooting from the field in the second half, while shooting 44.6% from the field, 35.0% from the three-point line, and 60.0% from the free throw line for the game. With the win, the Thunder are now 19-8 overall, 9-3 in the MCCC, and 9-2 in the Central Region. The Thunder also clinched at least a share of the MCCC Regular Season Title, which marks their seventh straight title.

The Thunder will play again on Tuesday, February 17th in their final home game against the #1 ranked Spurgeon College Knights at 6:00PM.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's and Women's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on the Men's X and Instagram and the Women's X and Instagram.

The Thunder men's basketball team has fallen one spot and is ranked #6 in this week's National Christian College Athletic Association Coaches Poll for DII Men's Basketball after going 4-1 over the past two weeks. With a total of 22 points, the Thunder sit just outside of the top-five behind Spurgeon College, Crown College, North Central University, Great Lakes Christian College, and Arlington Baptist University. The Thunder are the only from the Midwest Christian College Conference who are ranked. The Thunder are also one of two teams ranked in the week five poll from the NCCAA Central Region. For the full top-10 rankings for DII Men's Basketball, click this link.

The Thunder will play again on Friday, February 13th at home against Central Christian College of the Bible at 7:00PM. This will be the men's basketball team's Senior Night and they will honor their three seniors.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on X and Instagram.

The #6 ranked Thunder men's basketball team took their final roadtrip of the regular season to Haviland, Kansas for a conference/region game against the Barclay College Bears. The Thunder and Bears would meet for the second time this season. The Thunder were victorious at home on January 27th, 108-82. On Tuesday evening, the Thunder would take a 52-40 lead into the half before the Bears would battle back to make it a close game early in the second half. The Thunder would be able to close out the Bears to earn the season sweep and win the game by a score of 90-74. With the win, the Thunder are now 18-8 overall, 8-3 in the Midwest Christian College Conference, and 8-2 in the NCCAA Central Region.

The Thunder will play their next game at home on Friday, February 13th against Central Christian College of the Bible at 7:00PM. It will also be Senior Night and the men's basketball team will honor their three seniors. These festivities will commence at the conclusion of the game.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on X and Instagram.

The Thunder women's and men's basketball teams had their final regular season home weekend of basketball games of the season on Friday and Saturday. The #10 ranked women's team would play host to the Emmaus University Eagles on Friday, a team that they have not played since December 5th. The Lady Thunder would drop that game 55-51. On Friday afternoon, it would be different. The Lady Thunder would take an 11-point lead after the first quarter and never look back. They would hold a steady 42-33 lead at the half and outscore the Eagles by eight in the second half to avenge the early season loss, 87-70. Redshirt-junior, Nekayla Williams would have a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds, while three other Lady Thunder players would score in double figures as well. Freshman, Mackenzie Lovett would have 17 points, sophomore, Macayla Hines would have 16 points on 7-8 shooting from the field, and freshman, Tahlia Morris would have 10 points on 4-5 shooting from the field. The Lady Thunder would force 20 Eagles turnovers and out-rebound them 46-29 on the way to shooting 46.8% from the field, 18.2% from the three-point line, and 75.0% from the free throw line.

On Saturday afternoon, the Lady Thunder would face the Eagles of Faith Baptist Bible College. Much like the Eagles of Emmaus, the Eagles of Faith and the Lady Thunder had not played each other in two months. The Lady Thunder would win a close game on December 6th in Ankeny, Iowa, 54-51. The game on Saturday was another close one between the two opponents. The Lady Thunder would trail by 10 at halftime and would cut the Eagle lead to six headed into the fourth quarter. The first lead for the Lady Thunder would be with 1:34 remaining in the game. The Eagles would have three different chances to tie or take the lead down the stretch, but they could not convert as the Lady Thunder defense stood strong. The Lady Thunder would defeat the Faith Eagles, 62-60, and sweep the defending Midwest Christian College Conference Champions on the season. Williams would have 16 points to lead the Lady Thunder in scoring, while Lovett had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Morris would score 14 points and knock down four three-pointers. Freshman, Jasmine Holloway would chip in with 10 points for the Lady Thunder. The Lady Thunder would shoot 37.5% form the field, 30.0% from the three-point line, and 53.3% from the free throw line. With the two MCCC wins, the Lady Thunder now sit at 12-11 overall and 5-4 in conference play.

The Lady Thunder will be playing their fifth game in seven days on Monday, February 9th on the road against Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, North Dakota at 5:00PM.

The #5 ranked men's basketball team would also play the Emmaus University Eagles on Friday. The Thunder would jump all over the Eagles and lead by as much as 27 in the first half. The lead would be at 25 after 20 minutes for the Thunder with the score at 41-16. The Eagles would battle in the second half and cut the lead down to 10 with 3:54 remaining. The first half deficit would be too much for the Eagles and the Thunder would win the game by a final score of 75-61. Senior, Xavier Lucas and junior, Hunter Hill would have 18 points a piece for the Thunder. Lucas would have a double-double with 13 rebounds, to go along with his 18 points. Junior, James Braddy would chip in with nine points and four assists, while senior, Fred Criqui would have eight points and 12 rebounds. The Thunder would shoot 46.3% from the field, 21.4% from the three-point line, and 63.6% from the free throw line.

On Saturday afternoon, the Thunder would play the Faith Baptist Bible College Eagles. The Thunder fell to the Eagles by two in Ankeny on December 6th and were looking to get that one back. The Thunder and Eagles would be in a back and forth game through the first nine minutes, but the Thunder would find themselves down 10 at the break. The Eagles would extend their lead by as much as 23 in the second half, but the Thunder would fight back to cut the deficit to eight with 1:04. Free throws by the Eagles would close out the Thunder, 116-104. Seven Thunder players would score in double figures. The Thunder would shoot 52.2% from the field, 34.8% from the three-point line, and 68.6% from the free throw line. By splitting the two MCCC games, the Thunder are now 17-8 overall and 7-3 in conference play.

The Thunder will play their final regular season road game on Tuesday, February 10th in Haviland, Kansas against Barclay College at 7:00PM.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's and Women's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on the Men's X and Instagram and the Women's X and Instagram.

The Thunder women's and men's basketball team were in Belton, Missouri on Wednesday night for rescheduled games from January 24th. The games were moved from 11 days ago due to predicted inclement weather and travel conditions. The #10 ranked women's team would battle with the Calvary University Warriors for an opportunity to sit tied at the top of the Midwest Christian College Conference and NCCAA Central Region standings. Unfortunately, the Lady Thunder would find it hard to score on Wednesday night. After two quarters of play, the Lady Thunder would only have 10 points and find themselves behind by 25 points. The Lady Thunder would fight in the second half, but the deficit would be to much to overcome and they were tripped up by the Warriors, 65-42. The Lady Thunder are now 10-11 overall, 3-4 in the MCCC, and 4-3 in the Central Region.

The Lady Thunder will play again in a MCCC game on Friday, February 6th against Emmaus University at 4:00PM in the Howie's Activity Center.

The #5 ranked Thunder men's basketball team would follow up the women's team in a matchup with the Warriors. The Warriors would score the first two baskets of the game to take a 4-0 lead early. The Thunder would then take a 7-6 lead and never look back from there. At the 8:06 mark, the Thunder would take their first double-digit lead of the game, a 23-13 advantage. At the half, the Thunder would lead the Warriors, 39-26. Out of the break, the Warriors would go on a 8-0 run to cut the Thunder lead to five early in the second half. The Thunder would respond and expand the lead to 12 with 15:56 left in the second half. The Thunder lead would hover from eight to 11 for most of the second half until the Warriors cut the lead down to six with 8:30 left. The Warriors could not capitalize and the Thunder would close out the Warriors in the end by a score of 74-64. Sophomore, Tatum Pierce would have a monster double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds, to go along with three assists, three steals, and two blocks. Redshirt-junior, Jordan Carter would have 14 points and five assists to pace the Thunder, while fellow junior, Hunter Hill would have 11 points and six rebounds. The Thunder would shoot 43.3% from the field, 26.1% from the three-point line, and 62.5% from the free throw line. With the win, the Thunder are now 16-7 overall, 6-2 in the MCCC, and 7-2 in the Central Region.

The Thunder will also play on Friday, February 6th at home against Emmaus University in a MCCC contest. This game will tipoff at 6:00PM.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's and Women's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on the Men's X and Instagram and the Women's X and Instagram.

The Thunder women's and men's basketball teams hit the road on Friday to play in a non-conference and non-region game at Randall University. The #10 ranked women would look for revenge in the first game of the doubleheader. The Lady Thunder lost to the Saints on November 4th at home by a score of 77-62. The Lady Thunder would come out hot scoring 21 points in the first quarter to take a 10 point lead. The Saints would not go away as the rest of the quarters would be played close. The Lady Thunder would hit clutch free throws down the stretch to close out the Saint and avenge an early season defeat by winning 67-63.

The Lady Thunder will play their next game at home against Kansas Christian College on Tuesday, February 3rd at 5:00PM.

The #5 ranked men's basketball team would also play the Saints coming into the game on a four game winning streak. The Thunder and the Saints also played earlier in the season where the Thunder would prevail 77-72 in Manhattan. On Friday night, the game would start slow for both team, but the Thunder would take a 32-25 lead into the break. The Thunder would defend very well against a set-dominate Saints team. The Thunder would by as much as 17, but the Saints would come all the way back to cut the lead to three. Like the Lady Thunder, clutch free throws would seal the deal for the Thunder and earn another close victory over the Saints, 79-74.

The Thunder will be on the road again for their next game in a rescheduled game against Calvary University in Belton, Missouri on Wednesday, February 4th at 7:00PM.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's and Women's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on the Men's X and Instagram and the Women's X and Instagram.

After a two week absence, the Thunder men's basketball team has re-entered the top-10 and is ranked #5 in the most recent National Christian College Athletic Association Coaches Poll for DII Men's Basketball after going 3-1 over the past two weeks. The Thunder were receiving votes in the previous poll, but have made it into the top-10 poll now three out of the four weeks. With a total of 30 points, the Thunder sit behind Spurgeon College, Crown College, Great Lakes Christian College, and Arlington Baptist University to round out the top-5. The Thunder are the only team from the Midwest Christian College Conference who are ranked, but Ozark Christian College is receiving votes to be in the top-10. The Thunder are also one of two teams ranked in the week four poll from the NCCAA Central Region. For the full top-10 rankings for DII Men's Basketball, click this link.

The Thunder will play their next game on the road as well against Randall University in Moore, Oklahoma on Friday, January 30th at 6:00PM.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on X and Instagram.

The newly #5 ranked Thunder men's basketball team was back on the court on Tuesday night against Barclay College for a Midwest Christian College Conference and NCCAA Central Region contest. The Thunder would be in a back and forth game over the first five minutes as it was 15-13 with 15:10 left in the half. An 8-0 run by the Thunder would give them their first 10 point lead of the game. The Thunder would continue to pour on the points and take a 23 point lead into the half leading the Bears 56-33. The Bears would swap baskets for most of the second half, but could not make a dent in the Thunder's lead. The Thunder would lead by as much as 29 before the final would see the Thunder win their fourth in a row by a score of 108-82. Four Thunder players would score in double-figures led by sophomore, Tatum Pierce who had 19 points on 6-8 shooting from the field, to go along with five rebounds, and six assists. Junior, Hunter Hill would have 16 points and seven rebounds, while senior, Jaxon Hurla would have 15 points. James Braddy would also chip in with 12 points, while going 6-6 from the free throw line. The Thunder would hit 13 three pointers on their way to shooting 55.1% from the field, 52.0% from the three-point line, and 82.6% from the free throw line. In winning their fourth game in a row, the Thunder are now 14-7 overall, 5-2 in the MCCC, and 6-2 in the Central Region.

The Thunder will play again on the road on Friday, January 30th against Randall University in Moore, Oklahoma at 6:00PM.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on X and Instagram.

The Thunder women's and men's basketball teams hit the road in the freezing cold for a Midwest Christian College Conference and NCCAA Central Region matchup against ranked Ozark Christian College. The women would battle with the #3 ranked Ambassadors looking to avenge a heart-breaking loss at home about two weeks ago. The Lady Thunder would fall at the buzzer by two points to the then #4 ranked Ambassadors, 58-56. On Friday, the Lady Thunder would jump all over the Ambassadors in the first half taking a 12-point lead into the break. A hot shooting third quarter for the Ambassadors and a cold spell for the Lady Thunder would give the home team a lead headed into the fourth. The Lady Thunder would battle in the fourth quarter, but would stumble to the Ambassadors by a score of 67-64. The Lady Thunder drop to 8-10 on the season, while moving to 3-3 in the MCCC and 4-2 in the Central Region.

The Lady Thunder will play again on Friday, January 30th at Randall University at 4:00PM in Moore, Oklahoma.

The men's basketball team would also play a ranked Ambassador team who is ranked #9 in the NCCAA. They were also looking to avenge a loss last time they played earlier this month. The Thunder would come out flat and find themselves down 11 just seven minutes into the basketball game. They would battle back and take a five point lead with 3:26 remaining in the half, but the Ambassadors would hit a three at the end of the half to take a 37-35 lead after 20 minutes. A slow start again by the Thunder would put them in a small hole to climb out of to start the second half. A relentless defense and transition offense would boost the Thunder's lead to 13 with just over 10 minutes left in the game. The #9 ranked team would not go away and would take the lead late in the game, but the Thunder would hit clutch free throws down the stretch and earn the top-10 win over Ozark Christian, 80-77. Seniors Jaxon Hurla and Xavier Lucas would lead the Thunder with 19 and 18 points, respectively, while Hurla would hit six clutch free throws to give the Thunder the three point win. Junior, Hunter Hill would chip in with 13 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore, Tatum Pierce would have 11 points and eight rebounds. The Thunder would shoot 47.6% from the field, 29.4% from the three-point line, and 88.2% from the free throw line. The Thunder move to 13-7 overall, 4-2 in MCCC play, and 5-2 in Central Region play.

The Thunder will play another conference/region game on Tuesday, January 27th at 6:00PM against Barclay College at the Howie's Activity Center.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's and Women's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on the Men's X and Instagram and the Women's X and Instagram.