Women's Basketball | 12/1/2010 7:25:28 PM
Game 10: McPherson College (2-7, 0-0) vs #10 Kansas Wesleyan University (7-0, 0-0)
Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 | McPherson College Sport Center | McPherson, Kan.
Game Notes (PDF)
Live Audio
The Matchup
The McPherson women’s basketball team will try to snap a two game winless streak when the Bulldogs play host to No. 10 Kansas Wesleyan University on Thursday evening in McPherson.
Tipoff between the Bulldogs (2-7, 0-0) and Coyotes (7-0, 0-0) is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at the McPherson College Sport Center. A radio broadcast will be provided by 96.7 FM KBBE MidKansas Radio with an audio stream available at www.macbulldogs.com.
McPherson heads into Thursday’s game well rested as the Bulldogs have had nearly two weeks off since their last contest, a 72-64 loss to Southwestern Christian University. Against the Lady Eagles, McPherson shot a respectable 36.8 percent (21-of-57) from the field, but turned the ball over a season-high 29 times.
Senior guard
Kristen Ozbun (Rose Hill, Kan.) has been the primary scoring threat for the Bulldogs to this point in the season. Ozbun has scored in double figures in all eight games, including twice scoring 24 points. Against Southwestern Christian, Ozbun tallied 24 points on 9-of-21 attempts, including going 4-of-9 from beyond the three-point line. She currently leads the team with 1,014 career points.
Kansas Wesleyan comes to McPherson as one of the top teams in the KCAC and NAIA. The Coyotes opened the season ranked No. 15 nationally, but have jumped to No. 10 after an impressive 7-0 start. A year ago, KWU finished second in conference play and advanced to their second straight berth into the NAIA National Tournament. The Coyotes are led by 2010 NAIA Honorable Mention All-American LaCole Wilkinson and KCAC Freshman of the Year Stephanie Frost.
Scouting Kansas Wesleyan
Kansas Wesleyan wraps up a five-game road trip on Thursday against the Bulldogs. Entering conference play, the Coyotes are the lone unbeaten KCAC team with a 7-0 record following a 77-73 victory at Peru State University on Nov. 24.
KCAC Freshman of the Year Stephanie Frost continues to lead a talented Coyote squad that has won 10 straight regular season games. Frost, who ranks 32nd nationally with 5.7 defensive rebounds per game, is averaging a team-best 14.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. The 5-10 sophomore averaged 12.6 points and 7.7 rebounds a year ago.
Three other returning starters join Frost from a squad that advanced to its second consecutive NAIA National Tournament appearance. Junior guard Montric Santee ranks third on the team with 11.7 points and owns a team best .552 three-point field goal percentage, while NAIA All-American LaCole Wilkinson is averaging 11.3 points and has dished out a team-best 21 assists. Junior Shelby Babcock is second on the squad averaging 13.4 points per game.
A key part of the Coyotes continued success has been their suffocating defense. KWU ranks amongst the top 25 nationally in turnover margin (11th) and steals per game (18th). The Coyotes have forced their opponents into an average of 23 turnovers and 70.4 points per game.
Gordon Reimer is in seventh season as the head coach of the Kansas Wesleyan University women’s basketball program and owns a 91-89 record. Prior to Kansas Wesleyan, Reimer spent time as an assistant at KWU, Central Christian College and McPherson College.
In their last meeting...
Despite four Bulldogs finishing in double figures and a 12-point halftime lead, the McPherson College women’s basketball team was defeated by No. 22 Kansas Wesleyan University, 85-71, Saturday night at Mabee Arena. With the loss, the Bulldogs drop to 4-14 on the year and 1-9 in conference action. Senior guard Kristen Ozbun led MC with 19 points.
The Bulldogs opened the game on fire with a 14-5 run, capped by a Carley Sharp hook shot in the paint. McPherson’s pressure defense held the Coyotes scoreless for nearly five minutes early in the first half.
Kansas Wesleyan cut the MC lead to five, 17-12 on a Chelsea Freed three-pointer with a little less than 10 minutes left. However, five straight points from sophomore guard Brooke Weisenburger and a running jumper from Ozbun pushed McPherson’s lead back to 12, 24-17.
The Coyotes would not go away pulling the lead back to six, 26-20 with a little over five minutes left in the period, but the Bulldogs answered again. This time behind Ozbun who scored six of McPherson’s next 13 points. MC entered the locker room with a 39-27 lead.
In the first half, the Bulldogs connected on 16-of-30 (53.3 percent) attempts, including a 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) from three-point range. Ozbun led all scorers with 13 points, while Weisenburger added 10.
McPherson’s defense held the Coyotes to only 36.0 (9-of-25) percent shooting in the first 20 minutes, including 29.4 (5-of-17) percent from beyond the three point arc.
However, the second half was not as friendly to the Bulldogs. After each side traded baskets over the first five minutes of the second period, Kansas Wesleyan’s offense exploded with a 25-7 run, giving KWU a 70-58 lead with seven minutes remaining.
The Bulldogs battled to pull the Kansas Wesleyan lead back to 11, 73-62, on a Michelle Ducy two point basket, but the Coyote offense proved to be too much down the stretch.
