Men's Basketball | 2/11/2011 10:34:41 AM
Game 27: McPherson College (15-11, 9-6 KCAC) vs Bethany College (11-14, 9-6 KCAC)
Saturday, February 12, 2011 | 7:00 p.m. | McPherson Sport Center | McPherson, Kan.
Game Notes (PDF)
Live Audio
KCAC Game of the Week Video Stream
The Matchup
The McPherson College men’s basketball team puts its KCAC best seven-game win streak on the line Saturday night, as the Bulldogs host Bethany College at the McPherson Sport Center. The winner of the contest will gain sole possession of third place in the conference standings.
Tipoff for the contest is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and has been selected as the KCAC Game of the Week. A video stream of the game will be available at www.kcacsports.com, while listeners in the McPherson area can hear the game on 96.7 FM KBBE Mid-Kansas Radio. An audio stream will also be provided at www.macbulldogs.com.
The Bulldogs (15-11, 9-6 KCAC) enter the game as the hottest team in conference, riding a seven game win streak following a 68-61 victory at Tabor College Thursday night. McPherson overcame poor shooting in the first half with a 43-point second period en route to the win. The Bulldogs shot 50.0 percent from the floor in the second half and were 16-of-18 from the free throw line. For the game, McPherson shot a season-best 87.5 percent (21-of-24) from the charity stripe to outscore Tabor, 21-8, from the line.
Junior forward
Jordan Crawford (McPherson, Kan.) continued his hot play of late with his fourth double-double of the season to lead McPherson with 20 points and 10 rebounds. In his last five games, Crawford is averaging a team leading 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds, including a pair of double-doubles during the stretch.
Against Tabor, senior guard
Trent Severs (Inman, Kan.) set a season-high with 11 points, while tying for the team lead with three assists. He currently rests just 23 assists shy of tying Jonathan Coachman for the Bulldogs single season assist record of 153.
Despite only scoring four points against Tabor, junior guard
Aaron Frazier (McPherson, Kan.), much like Crawford, has been a key contributor in the McPherson offense of late. He is averaging 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and two steals per game over his last five.
McPherson will need another total team effort to avenge their earlier loss against Bethany College.
Bethany (11-14, 9-6 KCAC) recently knocked off Bethel College, 60-47, to extend their win streak to three games. Against Bethel, junior forward Chris Dean came off the bench to record 20 points and 12 rebounds on 7-of-13 shooting.
After Bethany, McPherson returns to action on Thursday, February 17 in their final home game of the regular season against the University of Saint Mary. Tipoff is slated for 8:00 p.m.
Scouting Bethany
Bethany enters the matchup riding a KCAC second best three game win streak following a 60-47 win at Bethel College Thursday night. The victory improved the Swedes to 11-14 overall on the season and 9-6 in league play. They are currently tied for third in conference with McPherson.
In their last game with Bethel, Bethany converted 39.7 percent of their field goal attempts, while out-rebounding the Threshers 40-33. In just his four game with the Swedes, junior forward Chris Dean tallied a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while junior guard Clayton Goggins chipped in 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting in the win. The pair accounted for 65 percent of BC’s total scoring.
The Swedes feature, arguably, the most potent offense in the league averaging a KCAC leading 74.8 points per game, 45.4 percent field goal percentage and 37.8 percent three-point field goal percentage. Bethany also ranks second amongst the KCAC schools with a 70.0 percent success rate at the free throw line. However, their offensive talents have not always relayed into consistent winning, as the Swedes have four stretches of multiple losses on the season.
Sophomore guard Trey Beachum leads five active Swedes in scoring with 13.2 points per game, while tallying 36 assists and 114 rebounds. In his first meeting with McPherson, Beachum fell just one shy of tying his season high with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting. On the year, he has scored in double digits 18 times.
A portion of the Swedes success of late can be credited to the emergence of junior forward Chris Dean. Dean, who played at McPherson College during the 2007-2008 season, entered the week averaging 12.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in his first three games, including a 17 points effort against Sterling College.
Bethany is coached by Clair Oleen.
In their last meeting...
Lindsborg, Kan. – Chaos during the final possession forced the Bulldogs to heave a last second three-pointer that fell just short, as the McPherson College men’s basketball team’s comeback attempt fell just short, 81-78, against Bethany College Thursday night at Hahn Gymnasium.
With the loss, McPherson falls to 8-10 on the season and 2-5 in KCAC play, while Bethany improved to 7-10 overall and 5-2 in league play.
In the first half, the Bulldogs opened a fast-paced period with an 11-0 run to force a Bethany timeout just three minutes into the contest. However, the Swedes battled back, but it was McPherson who took at 42-39 lead into the break.
McPherson was paced in the period by hot shooting from the floor, as they connected on 51.7 percent (15-of-29) attempts, including 6-of-11 from beyond the three-point line. Freshman guard Samson Shivers (Houston, Texas) put together arguably one of his best periods of the season with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including three three-point baskets.
Bethany quickly tied the score, 44-44, following a Haydon Parks three-pointer and Vincent Ferguson hook shot to open the half. A small run would extend the Bulldog lead back out to nine, but again the Swedes would answer to take a 68-67 lead with a little less than eight minutes remaining.
Despite their efforts, foul trouble made so the Bulldogs could not take the advantage on the scoreboard as MC’s last second three-point attempt fell just short.
McPherson finished the night shooting 46.9 percent (30-of-64) from the field, 36.0 percent (9-of-25) from three-point range and 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the free throw line. Bethany shot 50.0 percent (30-of-60) from the floor and 72.7 percent (16-of-22) from the foul stripe.
Five Bulldogs scored in double figures led by Shivers, who finished the night with a career-high 22 points. Junior forward Jordan Crawford (McPherson, Kan.) was second on the list with 15 points and a team leading seven rebounds, while Adam Bruner (McPherson, Kan.) added 11 and Aaron Frazier (McPherson, Kan.) and Aaron Jackson (Junction City, Kan.) chipped in 10 points, respectively.
The Swedes were led in scoring by Ferguson, who scored 28 points and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. Ferguson was 12-of-15 from the field and 4-of-6 from the foul line.
