Men's Basketball | 2/19/2011 11:10:45 PM
Box Score
Box Score
Sterling, Kan. – A fifth double-double for Jordan Crawford (McPherson, Kan.) was not quite enough, as the McPherson College men’s basketball team’s comeback fell short, 71-67, Saturday night at Sterling College.
Crawford finished the night with 13 points and a career-high 22 rebounds, including 16 defensive rebounds to record his fifth double-double of the season. Freshman guard Samson Shivers (Houston, Texas) joined Crawford in double figures with 15 points in the loss.
McPherson (17-12, 11-7 KCAC) shot 34.9 percent (22-of-63) from the field for the game, compared to Sterling’s (18-10, 14-4 KCAC) 40.4 percent (23-of-57). However, the Bulldogs out-rebounded the Warriors, 53-36, including 21 offensive rebounds to stay within striking distance.
The game began with Sterling guard Zach Goodrich connecting on three straight 3-pointers, sparking a SC 15-3 run. McPherson battled back at the free throw line to cut the deficit to six, 38-32, with 0:26 left in the period. Following a Goodrich missed 3-pointer, Shivers nailed a running 3-point basket as the buzzer sounded to make it a 38-35 Sterling advantage at the break.
The Bulldogs shot 36.0 percent (9-of-25) from the floor and 72.2 percent (13-of-18) from the free throw line in the opening 20 minutes.
Both teams traded baskets to start the second half, but the Warriors continued to lead throughout the game. The Bulldogs would remain between seven and five points behind a majority of the half, until junior guard
Aaron Jackson (Junction City, Kan.) hit a layup in traffic to make it 67-69 with 0:17 left in the game.
However, Trent Stutzman would hit both free throws to put the game out of reach and seal a KCAC regular season championship for the Warriors.
Goodrich led four Warriors in double figures with 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc.
The loss snapped MC’s nine game win streak.
The Bulldogs return to action on Wednesday night when they open KCAC Tournament action. Their opponent is to be determined, but MC will host at least the opening round.
