The men's basketball team jumped out to a 2-0 conference start after knocking off Emmaus Bible College 104-64 on Friday and Faith Baptist Bible College 86-56 on Saturday afternoon at the MCCC Classic. In Friday's contest vs Emmaus the Thunder were paced by senior guard, Micah Lovett, and sophomore guard, Vacario Triplett, with 17 points each. As a team, MCC out rebounded the Eagles by 22 and racked up 19 assists. Saturday's game against the host, Faith Baptist Bible College, saw MCC jump out to a quick 7-0 lead. For much of the first half the game was then back and forth before the Thunder finished the half on an 18-0 run over the last 4:50. The Thunder would slowly stretch the 17 point halftime lead to 30 by the time the game ended. Seniors Micah Lovett and Dyelan Reed along with Sophomore Jaxon Hurla paced the Thunder with 13, 12 and 11 respectively. 

"After a tough first semester it was good to see the guys jump out to a 2-0 mark in conference play. The process with this group has been a fun one and I'm excited to see where we can go from here," commented Head Coach Jordan Strom.

MCC will be on the road this Thursday at Randall University. The Saints beat the Thunder in Manhattan in November by three. MCC will then return home on Saturday for the first conference home game of the year as they play host to Central Christian College of the Bible, who also has started conference play at 2-0. 

The conclusion to the 2022-2023 season was a bittersweet one for the Thunder. On one hand the team made it to their second consecutive NCCAA Final Four, advancing all the way to the national title game. Then on the other hand the Thunder saw a class graduate that accounted for over 85% of their on floor production and contributed to the culture of the program in immeasurable ways. 

"The group that graduated last year was a special one," commented 5th year Head Coach, Jordan Strom. "But that was last year. We can't look at that group anymore. They say comparison is the thief of joy and if we continually compare this team with that one we're going to miss out on some special moments this season." 

Enter the 2023-2024 team featuring 8 returners and 8 newcomers. Of the returners the most notable is 5th year senior, Dyelan Reed (Concordia, KS). The forward is the only returning starter from a year ago where he averaged 13.5 ppg on 35% shooting from 3FG. Reed earned all conference honors a season ago. Returning contributors from a season ago also include senior Jamie Juncal (Perth, Australia) and junior Cody Mericle (Manhattan, KS). Juncal, the 6-5 forward, transferred to MCC from Spurgeon during the 22-23 season where he came off the bench scoring 6.5 ppg off of 34% from three point land. Mericle, the 6-6 forward, came on late in the season to provide a spark for the Thunder off the bench. Senior guard, Caden Hurla (Paxico, KS), comes back to the MCC lineup after missing the entire 22-23 season with a knee injury while senior forward, Alex Sturtz (Boone, IA), is back to full strength after battling injury and illness the second half of last season. Senior Desmond Lindsey also returns to the team for one final go at it. Sophomores Jaxon Hurla (Paxico, KS) and La'Zel Evans (Kansas City, KS) round out the group of returners. Both will be looked to for contribution during the 23-24 season. In addition to the returners Coach Strom and his staff bring in eight newcomers that include three transfers and five true freshmen. These newcomers should prove to be valuable contributors for the 2023-24 version of the Thunder. 

"We're excited about the group of guys that we have this season. We have several returners that are stepping into bigger roles and new guys that will be looked to help this team grow over the course of the season. This group is fun to be around every day and we're looking forward to playing games," said Coach Strom. 

MCC opens their season on Friday, November 3rd at 6:00 pm vs Sterling College in the first game of the CCC Classic for Christ. The rest of the schedule can be seen here.