Men's Basketball | 12/8/2010 6:44:41 PM
Game 13: McPherson College (6-6, 0-2) vs Bethel College (1-8, 1-1)
Thursday, December 9, 2010 | 8:00 p.m. | McPherson, Kan. | McPherson Sport Center
Game Notes (PDF)
Live Audio
The Matchup
The McPherson College men’s basketball team returns to the McPherson Sport Center for its final home game of 2010, as the Bulldogs (6-6, 0-2) welcome Bethel College (1-8, 1-1) this Thursday evening. Start time for the matchup is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. and the game will be carried by 96.7 FM KBBE MidKansas Radio. An audio stream will also be available at www.macbulldogs.com.
The Bulldogs come into Thursday’s game with a season-long four game winless streak after falling to Ottawa University, 76-85, last Saturday. The Bulldogs played a strong first half, shooting 52.9 percent (18-of-34) from the field, but failed to sustain the moment as Ottawa battled back for the victory. The Braves connected on a blistering 59.3 percent (19-of-27) from the field and 85.2 percent (23-of-27) in the comeback.
Despite the loss, guards Aaron Frazier and Samson Shivers put together solid performances. Frazier led the Bulldogs with 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting, while Shivers recorded 14 of his own. Shivers finished the night 4-of-10 from beyond the arc. Frazier continues to be a leader on the offensive end of the floor. His 10.3 points per game average ranks second only to Aaron Jackson’s 14.3. On the season, Frazier leads MC with a 47.3 shooting percentage (43-of-91) and 23 steals.
Bethel looks to bounce back from an 82-52 loss against Friends University on Saturday night in North Newton. Junior guard Trey Ronnebaum led the Threshers with a season-best 15 points. Junior transfer Jason O’Brien paces the BC offense with 12.0 points per game as three Threshers average double figures.
Scouting The Threshers
Bethel visits McPherson looking to pick up its second win of the season. The Threshers currently own a 1-8 overall record and 1-1 mark in conference play. BC’s lone victory of the season came against Ottawa University, 65-63, on Dec. 2.
Against Ottawa, Bethel shot 39.1 percent (18-of-46) from the field and 74.2 percent (23-of-31) from the free throw line. Guard Jason O’Brien led BC with 18 points, while Chip Schneider added 13 and Aaron Haywood 11.
Three transfers have made their mark offensively, led by junior guard Jason O’Brien. O’Brien, a 6-1 guard from Whittier College, leads the team averaging 12.0 points per game, while ranking 11th nationally in three-point field goals made per game (3.14). A 40.0 percent (22-of-55) from beyond the arch, O’Brien is 30-of-78 (38.5 percent) from the field on the season. Other impact transfers have been Chip Schneider (Dodge City CC) and Alonzo Haywood (Labette CC).
Mark Yoder is in his fourth season of his second term with the Bethel basketball program. He previously coached the Threshers from 1993 to 1998.
In their last meeting...
North Newton, Kan. – Senior forward Antowine Lamb produced his eighth double-double of the season with 14 points, 11 rebounds and one blocked shot to lead McPherson to a 73-59 win over Bethel College at Thresher Gymnasium Saturday evening. The win clinched the all-important second seed in the KCAC tournament.
With the victory, the Bulldogs continued one of the best seasons in school history by improving to 20-7 overall and 13-5 in league play. McPherson’s second place KCAC finish is the programs highest since the 1995-96 season.
In addition to Lamb’s 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting, senior guard Mike Reece contributed 15 points and two assists, while hitting 5-of-8 from the field, including 4-of-5 from the free throw line and 1-of-1 from behind the arc. Freshman guard Kasey Miller knocked down 4-of-5 threes to finish with 12 points and four rebounds, while sophomore Aaron Frazier added 10 points, three assists and three steals.
McPherson hit 52.0 percent (26-of-50) from the field, marking the 11th time the Bulldogs have hit 50.0 percent or better. The Bulldogs out-rebounded Bethel, 39-30, including 12 offensive boards, while forcing 18 Bethel turnovers.
Defensively, the Bulldogs held Bethel to just 29.0 percent shooting in the second half en route to a 34.5 percent shooting percentage for the game. Despite struggling from the field, the Threshers converted 16-of-21 free throw attempts.
Bethel jumped out to an early 5-0 lead behind a Brody Grove layup and John Watson three-pointer, but the Bulldogs quickly match with a pair of Lamb put backs and a Reece layup to tie the game at seven. The first half remained close as the lead changed hands 15 times before McPherson grabbed a four-point advantage on an Frazier jumper, 37-33.
Bethel kept it close in the first half by forcing 11 McPherson turnovers, which the Threshers converted into 18 points. Both sides shot greater than 40.0 percent with McPherson holding a slight advantage at 43.3 percent. McPherson’s Miller was key in the first half, scoring nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from behind the arc.
McPherson allowed Bethel to get no closer than six points in the second half, that last time coming at 39-33 with 18:51 left. A pair of baskets from Frazier and Dwayne Thomas, and an old-fashioned three-point play from Reece pushed MC’s lead to 13 with 17:05 left. Leading 62-51 with 4:45, McPherson used a Miller three and a Lamb free throw to extend the lead to a game high 15.
