Men's Basketball | 1/10/2010 12:00:00 AM
Box Score Leavenworth, Kan. – Senior guard Mike Reece led five Bulldogs in double figures with 27 points to help fuel the McPherson College men’s basketball team’s 100-94 win over the University of Saint Mary at the Ryan Sport Center on Saturday night.
“The University of Saint Mary is a great team,” said McPherson Coach Tim Swartzendruber. “This was certainly a quality win for on, especially on the road. I thought we did a good job handling their run at the end of the game. We made crucial free throws when we needed to and converted a couple of possessions as the shot clock was expiring. Aaron Frazier and Andre Dean had great minutes for us tonight at the guard spot. I thought Andre showed great composure in a very physical, intense game.”
In addition to a strong performance by Reece, who connected on 8-of-13 attempts for 27 points, senior guard Marlon Dominique contributed 17 points, while sophomore guard Aaron Frazier finished the night with 15. Junior guard Trent Severs pitched in 12 points, and senior forward Dewayne Thomas added 10 points, a game-high six rebounds, and five assists.
McPherson’s victory extended the Bulldogs win streak to seven games, while remaining only one of two undefeated teams in KCAC action. The University of Saint Mary, KCAC preseason No. 1, slipped to 8-7 overall and 2-4 in conference action.
McPherson outscored the Spires 38-26 to start the second half to push the Bulldog lead out to 20 points, 84-64. However, Spire guard Eric Avant got the USM offense started by scoring seven straight points to spark a 22-6 Saint Mary run to pull the McPherson lead to four, 90-86 with 54 seconds left in the game.
Despite the Spire run, McPherson hit 6-of-6 free throws in the last minute of the game to propel the Bulldogs to the win.
The Bulldogs shot 80.0 percent from the free throw line in the second half, while connecting on 17-of-33 (51.5 percent) field goals. McPherson forced 19 Spire turnovers, which the Bulldogs turned into 10 steals. USM won the battled on the boards edging McPherson 43-40.
McPherson carried a 45-38 lead into the halftime break thanks to 13 first half points from Frazier, including a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the three point arc. McPherson hit 57.1 percent of first half shots, while the defense held the Spires to 34.5 percent during the initial 20 minutes.
For the game, USM shot 43.3 percent from the field. Guard Eric Avant led the Spires in scoring with 34 points, while Jeb Greenberg added 20.
The Bulldogs hit the road for the second time in a row in KCAC action by taking on Friends University on Thursday night in Wichita, Kan. Tipoff for the contest is slated to start at 8:00 p.m.
