Men's Basketball | 1/14/2011 2:53:01 PM
Game 19: McPherson College (8-10, 2-5) at University of Saint Mary (12-7, 5-2)
Saturday, January 15, 2011 | 3:30 p.m. | Ryan Sport Center | Leavenworth, Kan.
Game Notes (PDF)
Live Audio
KCAC Game of the Week Broadcast
The Matchup
The McPherson College men’s basketball team gets the opportunity this weekend to knock off one of four teams tied for the KCAC lead, as the Bulldogs travel to the University of Saint Mary Saturday afternoon.
Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CST. Radio coverage will be provided by 96.7 FM KBBE Mid-Kansas Radio, while a video stream will be available through the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. An audio stream of the radio broadcast will also be available at www.macbulldogs.com
The Bulldogs’ attempt to tie the game as time expired fell short, as MC fell to Bethany College, 81-78, on Thursday night. The loss dropped McPherson to 8-10 overall and 2-5 in league play. In that game, McPherson shot 46.9 percent (30-of-64) from the field, but committed 20 personal fouls to give Bethany the edge at the free throw line. Freshman guard
Samson Shivers (Houston, Texas) continued his impressive play with a career-high 22-point effort to lead five Bulldogs in double figures. Junior forward
Jordan Crawford (McPherson, Kan.) tallied 15 points and seven rebounds in his first start since December 9, 2010.
Shivers has emerged as a key member of the Bulldogs offensive attack. Since being inserted into the starting lineup, Shivers is averaging 16.4 points per game, including three games of greater than 15 points. On the year, he is shooting 43.4 percent (69-of-159) from the field, including a team leading 39 three-point baskets.
Along with Shivers, senior guard
Trent Severs (Inman, Kan.) has made his presence known of the floor, but not necessarily in the point column. Severs leads the team and ranks 10th nationally with 86 assists and is averaging a little more than five assists per contest.
The Spires (12-7, 5-2) remain tied amongst the leaders of the conference despite a disappointing, 52-58, road loss at Bethel College on Thursday. In the loss, USM was held to 32.8 percent shooting from the field and was out rebounded, 38-31. The Spires are led offensive by senior guard Brandon Coleman, who averages 16.5 points per game.
Following Saturday’s contest with Saint Mary, McPherson returns home to take on Sterling College on Wednesday, January 19. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. inside the McPherson College Sport Center.
Scouting USM
The University of Saint Mary enters Saturday’s KCAC Game of the Week with a 12-7 overall record and 5-2 in conference play following a 52-58 defeat at Bethel College Thursday night. In that game, USM was held to just 32.8 percent shooting from the field and was out rebounded 38-31. Prior to the loss, the Spires were riding a five-game conference win streak, including road victories at Ottawa University, Friends University and Tabor College.
Senior guard Brandon Coleman tops USM in scoring averaging 16.5 points per game while shooting 40.3 percent (93-of-231) from the floor, including a team-best 47 three pointers. Coleman recorded a season-high 33 points against Ottawa University and has scored in double figures in eight straight games going into Thursday’s contest with Bethel. Sophomore guard Jeb Greenberg joins Coleman in double figures with 14.2 points per game. Greenberg is a 52.8 percent shooter from the field, including 12-of-24 from beyond the three-point line. Defensively, Greenberg leads the Spires with 35 steals.
As a team, USM combines an aggressive defensive approach with a potent offensive attack. The Spires rank ninth nationally in total steals with 174, while shooting 42.6 percent (453-of-1064), including 142 three-point baskets. One of the Spires biggest hurdles has been in rebounding. Through Thursday’s game with Bethel, USM has been out rebounded by opponents 680-631.
Head coach Jon Bishop is in his third season at the helm of the University of Saint Mary men’s basketball program.
In their last meeting...
McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College men’s basketball team battled back from a 16-point half time deficit, but turned out to be not enough as the Bulldogs fell to the University of Saint Mary, 64-62 Thursday night at the McPherson Sport Center.
The Bulldogs held a 61-60 lead with 4:00 left after a three-point basket by senior guard Marlon Dominique, but USM’s Eric Avant and Brandon Dougherty hit a pair of free throws and a high-arching jumper with less than two minutes left to take the lead back, 64-62. Then, with less than ten seconds remaining, Dominique dribbled baseline before pulling up about eight feet from the basket. Dominique’s attempt fell just short as the final buzzer sounded.
McPherson finished the night shooting 48.9 percent from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc (23.1 percent) and from the foul stripe (50.0 percent). Dominique and senior guard Charles Moore paced the McPherson offense with 11 points, while Mike Reece added 10 to round out the Bulldogs in double figures. Trent Severs tallied a game-high five assists, while Antowine Lamb posted his third straight double figure rebounding game with 11.
In the first half, McPherson trailed by as many as 21 points, 41-20, with 3:00 left. But the Bulldogs closed the half on an 7-2 to cut it to a 16-point game at intermission.
Despite their struggles in the first half, the Bulldogs came out of the locker room on fire in the second half. USM’s Avant opened the half with a three from the wing to push the Spire lead out to 19 points, 46-27 before the Bulldogs rattled off 21 unanswered points to take a 48-46 lead with 13:52 left.
McPherson held a one-point advantage, 50-49, at the 11:15 mark. However, two consecutive three-pointers by Avant and Eric Nietsche gave the Spires back with lead, 55-50 with ten minutes left.
The two sides trade baskets and the lead until Dougherty connected on the eventual game winning basket with 1:22 left to give USM a 64-62 advantage. McPherson had an opportunity in the final seconds that feel just short.
Avant led the Spires with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, while Nietsche had 15 and Dougherty chipped in 13.
Despite the loss, the Bulldogs season may not be finished yet. If the No. 1 seed Friends University wins the KCAC Tournament, McPherson will receive the second automatic bid to the NAIA Division II National Tournament held in Branson, Mo.
