Men's Basketball | 1/29/2010 12:00:00 AM
Box Score Ottawa, Kan. – Mike Reece led a balanced offense with 18 points, while Aaron Frazier added 16 as McPherson pulled away early in the first half Thursday night for a 74-58 win over Ottawa University in Wilson Field House.
McPherson held the Braves to the third worst field goal percentage against the Bulldogs this season to improve its record to 9-2 in KCAC play and 16-4 overall. Ottawa fell for the fourth time in five games, dropping to 3-8 in league action while falling to 5-16 on the season.
Coming off an embarrassing loss at Kansas Wesleyan, the Bulldogs ripped off a 28-9 run spanning the initial 11 minutes of the first half to break open the game. The run was capped by a Mason Hewitt jumper in the paint off a feed from Frazier.
However, behind two three pointers from Kyle Schreiner and three free throws from Isaac Johnston, Ottawa clawed themselves back into the game, cutting the McPherson lead to nine, 33-21 with a little under five minutes remaining in the first half. Although, McPherson answered the call, shutting down the Braves the rest of the half to enter the locker room with a 10 point, 41-31 lead at the break.
The Bulldog defense held Ottawa to just 29.2 percent shooting from the field. Offensively McPherson shot 54.2 percent in the first half, including 14-of-17 from the free throw line.
Just as they did in the first half, McPherson opened the second period with a 11-2 run on 6-of-6 shooting to extend their 10-point halftime lead out to 21, 54-33.
McPherson found their largest lead of the night with 10:25 remaining as Reece put-back a missed three-point attempt by Frazier to make it 62-38 Bulldogs.
Ottawa chipped away at the lead, but the Bulldogs proved to be too much down the stretch.
McPherson finished the game hitting 47.3 percent from the field, including a near season-high 80.0 percent from the foul stripe. The Bulldogs forced Ottawa into 15 turnovers, while out rebounding the Braves 37-32.
Ottawa finished the night shooting just 35.4 percent from the field.
McPherson presented a balanced attack as 11 different Bulldogs scored at least two points.
McPherson returns home Saturday night to take on the Tabor College Bluejays at 7:00 p.m.
