Women's Basketball | 1/5/2011 2:45:07 PM
Game 15: McPherson College (3-11, 1-3) vs Southwestern College (9-4, 2-2)
Thursday, January 6, 2011 | 6:00 p.m. | McPherson, Kan. | McPherson College Sport Center
Game Notes (PDF)
Live Audio
The Matchup
The McPherson College women’s basketball team continues its busy week to open the 2011 portion of its schedule Thursday night, as the Bulldogs return to KCAC action against the Moundbuilders of Southwestern College. The Bulldogs (3-11, 1-3) will be looking for their first win against the Builders since the 2006-07 season.
Tipoff for the midweek matchup is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. inside the McPherson College Sport Center. In addition, the Bulldogs men’s team will be in action following the contest at 8:00 p.m. Thursday’s McPherson-Southwestern game will be broadcast by 96.7 FM KBBE Mid-Kansas Radio and an audio stream will be available at www.macbulldogs.com. Play-by-play announcer Nick Gosnell will have the call and McPherson student Jose Arenas will provide color.
The last time out, McPherson proved unable to shake off the rust, falling to York College, 73-51, Monday night in York, Neb. McPherson struggled in the opening 20 minutes, shooting only 14.3 percent in the first half, but rebounded with a strong second period. In the loss, freshman guard
Madison Chambers (Wellsville, Kan.)recorded her first double-double of her career with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Senior guard
Kristen Ozbun (Rose Hill, Kan.) continues to work her way up the all-time scoring list and is currently just five points behind Tracy Parks for fourth. Parks scored 1,091 points from 1989 to 1991. Ozbun currently rests at 1,086 career points. On the season, she averages a team leading 17.0 points per game.
Southwestern (9-4, 2-2) enter the contest winners of their last three, including a pair of victories against Ottawa University and Bethel College.
Looking past Southwestern, McPherson will remain home through the weekend, as the Bulldogs host Tabor College on Saturday. Tipoff between the Bulldogs and Blue Jays is slated for 7:00 p.m.
Scouting Southwestern
Southwestern enters the contest with a 9-4 overall record and 2-2 mark in KCAC play. The Builders have won three straight, including victories against Ottawa University, Bethel College and Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Prior to the streak, Southwestern had lost two straight at Sterling College and Kansas Wesleyan University.
In their last outing, Southwestern shot only 29.5 percent (18-of-61), but proved able to overcome Oklahoma Wesleyan, 66-60. Despite their struggles from the field, SWC forced the Eagles into 27 turnovers, while only committing 18 of their own. Junior guard Brett Bates led the team with 18 points, while senior forward Tylar Hartfield tallied a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Bates currently leads the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game, while Hartfield ranks second at 11.3 and leads the team averaging 8.9 rebounds. Senior forward Jasmine Manuel, a 2010 All-KCAC first team member, ranks third on the team with 11.2 points per game.
Southwestern head coach Dave Denley is in his 13th season with the Southwestern women’s basketball program, where he has compiled a 228-131 overall record, including a 2008 trip to the NAIA D-II Women’s Basketball National Tournament. Denely also serves at the school’s athletic director.
In their last meeting...
The McPherson College women’s basketball team put together a strong effort, but failed to get past the strong defense by Southwestern, as the Bulldogs were defeated 64-53 Saturday night at Stewart Field House.
Bulldog senior guard Kristen Ozbun put together a tremendous effort with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting. It’s the seniors second 20-point effort of the season and the 16th time she has been in double figures. Along with scoring, Ozbun finished the night second on the team with six rebounds. Freshman Jacee Coberly was the only other Bulldog in double figures with 10 points off the bench.
McPherson opened the game cold, missing their first five shots until Stephanie Poland connected on a hook shot off a feed from Brooke Weisenburger. The basket ended the Builders 10-0 run to start the game, 10-2.
The Bulldogs cut the deficit to four, 16-12, with 10:15 in the half on an Ozbun layup and a Weisenburger three from the wing. However, Southwestern answered with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer from Sarah Maxwell.
McPherson ended the half with a 5-1 mini run to pull the lead within four, 31-27. The Bulldogs shot 35.5 percent from the field in the opening period, but struggled from the foul line converting just 3-of-10 attempts. The mixed defensive looks from the Bulldogs frustrated Southwestern into 28.1 percent shooting.
Ozbun opened the second half with five straight points, including a jumper from the top of the key to give McPherson their first and only lead of the game, 32-21 with 19:14 left. Southwestern quickly answered with an old-fashioned three-point play by Jasmine Jackson. The Bulldogs knotted the score once again at 34-34 on a Carly Sharp runner, but Southwestern answered with a 12-0 run to push their lead back to double digits, 46-34.
The Bulldogs would get as close as seven, 53-46 with a little less than eight minutes left, but another Moundbuilder run put the game out of reach 64-48 with 1:51 left in the game.
McPherson ended the contest shooting 31.8 percent from the field. The Bulldogs struggles at the free throw line continued throughout as they hit on only 42.9 percent of attempts.
Southwestern match the McPherson shooting percentage, 31.8 percent from the field, but hit on 14-of-22 free throw attempts and connected on eight three-point baskets. Junior guard Jasmine Manuel paced the Moundbuilder offense with 19 points, while Tylar Hartifield added 12 and Jordyn Cossman chipped in 11.
