Women's Basketball | 1/28/2011 10:23:11 AM
Game 22: McPherson College (5-16, 3-8 KCAC) at Bethel College (12-9, 6-5 KCAC)
Saturday, January 29, 2011 | 5:00 p.m. | Thresher Gymnasium | North Newton, Kan.
Game Notes (PDF)
The Matchup
The McPherson College women’s basketball team looks to continue its positive momentum this Saturday evening, as the Bulldogs travel to Bethel College. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. in Thresher Gymnasium.
Unfortunately for Bulldog fans, Saturday’s game will not be carried by 96.7 FM KBBE Mid-Kansas radio due to a program conflict. Fans can follow www.macbulldogs.com, Facebook and Twitter for updates.
The Bulldogs (5-16, 3-8 KCAC) snapped a two game losing streak with a 52-49 victory against Ottawa University Thursday night. McPherson outscored the Lady Braves 17-3 over the final seven minutes of the first half to build a 33-22 lead at the break. The Bulldogs struggled in the second period, including a near 13-minute stretch without a field goal, but were able to hold on for the victory.
McPherson held Ottawa to just 33.3 percent shooting, including a 2-of-21 effort from beyond the three-point line. Junior guard
Brooke Weisenburger (Gardner, Kan.) scored a game-high 14 points, nine of which came in the second half.
Junior forward
Elice Frey (Riley, Kan.) had one of her better rebounding games of the season, as she tallied a career-high 10 rebounds, including five offensive rebounds in the win. She currently leads the team with 112 (5.3 per game) total boards.
Bethel comes into the weekend with a 12-9 overall record and 6-5 mark in KCAC play following a 53-49 victory at Friends University on Thursday night. The win gives BC positive results in four out of their last six and puts them in a tie for fourth place in the conference race.
Senior guard Angela Wood paces the BC offense averaging 14.8 points per game, while junior Jessica Muckenthaler averages 11.7.
In their earlier meeting, McPherson edged Bethel, 93-85, in an overtime thriller at the McPherson Sport center.
Following Bethel, McPherson returns home for a rematch with Friends University on Thursday, February 3. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. inside the McPherson Sport Center.
Scouting Bethel
Bethel has bounced back from a five game losing streak, including a 93-85 overtime loss against McPherson, to win four of their last six following a 53-49 victory at Friends University on Thursday night. The Threshers are 12-9 on the season and tied for fourth with Friends and Tabor College with a 6-5 conference mark. BC’s two losses over the past six games came against nationally ranked Kansas Wesleyan and Sterling College.
Bethel features the 35th best field goal percentage defense in the NAIA, as the Threshers are holding opponents to just 37.3 percent shooting from the field and are allowing an average of 67.0 points per game. Offensively, the Threshers shoot 37.0 percent from the floor, 29.8 percent from beyond the three-point line and a KCAC third best 67.0 percent from the free throw line. A major problem for BC this season has been turnovers, averaging 23.7 per game.
Senior guard Angela Wood has been one of the top scorers in the conference with a 14.8 points per game average on a KCAC best 43.0 shooting percentage. In her first meeting with the Bulldogs, Wood tallied 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting, despite playing a majority of the second half and the overtime with four fouls. A month later, she set a season-best with a 26-point performance against Bethany College on January 8. She ranks second on the squad shooting 75.4 percent from the free throw line, while leading the team with 34 steals coming into the week.
Fellow backcourt mate, Jessica Muckenthaler is the only other Threshers averaging double figures at 11.7 points per game. She leads the team with a 76.2 percent free throw percentage.
The Threshers are coached by Mark Fox and assisted by Adrian Howie and Stacey Herman.
In their last meeting...
McPherson, Kan. – Senior guard Kristen Ozbun (Rose Hill, Kan.) set a new McPherson College single game record with 38 points to lead all scorers, as the McPherson women’s basketball team earned a thrilling 93-85 overtime victory against Bethel College on Thursday evening in the McPherson Sport Center.
With the win, McPherson improves to 3-9 overall and 1-2 in KCAC action, while Bethel falls to 8-3 and 2-1 in league play.
Ozbun’s 38 points broke Anne Kruse’s 48-year-old record of 37, which also came against Bethel. The senior from Rose Hill, Kan., ended the night 11-of-22 from the floor and 12-of-17 from the foul line.
Other top scorers for McPherson were Elice Frey (Riley, Kan.), who had 18 points and five rebounds, and Whitney Slater (Otis, Kan.) who had 10 points and seven rebounds.
In the first half, both teams traded the lead several times in the period, as the biggest lead of the first 20 minutes was Bethel’s nine-point advantage with a little over six minutes remaining at 26-17.
McPherson shot 40.7 percent (11-of-27) in the first half and faced a 33-39 deficit entering the second period of play.
The Threshers extended their lead to nine on an Angela Wood three-pointer to open the period. However, the Bulldogs stayed within striking distance and took their first lead since early in the first half, 58-55 on an Ozbun three-pointer from the corner. The Bulldogs maintained the lead over the next four minutes.
BC would take back the advantage with 4:08 left, 72-71, on a Rachel Bachman free throw, but again the Bulldogs would keep it close, tying the game 78-78 with 36 seconds remaining in regulation. Each side would add a free throw in the closing seconds to send the game into the extra period tied at 79 apiece.
In the overtime, the two sides traded opening baskets until Ozbun connected on a blind three-pointer as the shot clock expired to give MC an 84-82 advantage with 2:57 remaining. That basket not only gave the Bulldogs the lead, but it swung all momentum McPherson’s favor. Bethel would not pull closer than four the rest of the overtime period.
