Men's Basketball | 2/17/2011 11:16:21 PM
Box Score
Box Score
McPherson, Kan. – McPherson’s dominance of late continued as the Bulldogs College upended the University of Saint Mary, 83-57, at the McPherson Sport Center Thursday night. Led by a pair of 20-point performances from juniors Aaron Frazier (McPherson, Kan.) and Jordan Crawford (McPherson, Kan.), the Bulldogs earned their ninth straight win.
With the victory, McPherson improves to 17-11 overall and 11-6 in conference play, while the Spires fall to 16-13 overall and 9-8 in KCAC action.
The former McPherson High School teammates paced McPherson’s offense in the 26-point victory. Frazier tallied a career-high 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including a 9-of-10 effort from the free throw line, while Crawford recorded 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field.
Senior guard
Trent Severs (Inman, Kan.) matched a season best with 10 assists, while freshman
Samson Shivers (Houston, Texas) pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
USM had two players score in double-figures led by 15 points from sophomore guard Jeb Greenberg. Senior guard Brandon Coleman, who entered the night leading the KCAC in scoring, was held to 13 points.
McPherson grabbed its first lead of the game with a 9-0 run early in the first period to give the Bulldogs an 11-5 advantage at the 13:48 mark. Late in the period, Frazier would spark an 11-3 run with a 3-point play to give MC a 36-26 advantage with 2:07 left in the period. He would go 4-for-4 from the free throw line during the stretch.
However, USM would close out the half with seven straight points to pull within three, 36-33, at the break.
The Bulldogs connected on 53.8 percent of its shots in the opening 20 minutes and was 6-of-9 from the free throw line. The Spires were 10-of-14 from the free throw line to make up shooting just 34.5 percent.
Saint Mary hung within seven over the first six minutes of the second half, but a 10-3 McPherson run, including five points from Frazier, put the home team back up by double digits, 63-48, with 8:25 left. The run led to a USM timeout.
Following the timeout, Spire forward Nick White muscled a well contested basket in the paint, but the Bulldogs answered back with possibly the biggest shot of the night when Shivers buried a 3-pointer from the wing and was fouled in the process. Shivers converted the free throw and following a Spire turnover connected on a second straight 3-pointer to spark a MC run.
The Bulldogs would outscore USM down the stretch 17-7 to earn the 26 point victory.
As a team, McPherson ended the night shooting a season-best 52.5 percent (31-of-59) from the field, while out-rebounding USM, 40-33.
McPherson wraps up its regular season on Saturday when the Bulldogs travel to Sterling College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. inside Warrior Gymnasium.
