Men's Basketball | 2/27/2011 7:18:35 PM
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Wichita, Kan. - After two exciting rounds of tournament basketball, the top seeded Sterling College Warriors will face off against No. 2 seed McPherson College in the KCAC Championship Finals on Monday evening at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan.
Tipoff between the Warriors and Bulldogs is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. The women's tournament final will follow the men at 8:00 p.m. The two sides split the regular season series, each earning a victory on their respective home floor.
Sterling, the KCAC regular season champions for the second time in the last three seasons, garnered the No. 1 seed after rolling through the conference season with a 14-4 record (18-10 overall), including an 8-1 mark at home. The Warriors' four losses in league play came against the University of Saint Mary, Tabor College, McPherson College and Friends University.
SC defeated Bethel College 74-57 in the quarterfinal round before knocking off Tabor College, 74-60, to earn a place in the finals.
The Warriors feature one of the conference's top offensive attacks averaging 71.5 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting to rank amongst the top three in the KCAC in both categories. Junior forward Cody Brazelton has emerged as one of the league's premier scorers and rebounders. The 6-6, 190-pounder entered the postseason ranked amongst the top five in scoring at 15.1 points per game, field goal percentage (55.3 percent), total rebounding (195) and offensive rebounds (85).
Along with Brazelton, senior guard Zach Goodrich and junior backcourt mate Trenton Stutzman are key features for the Warriors. Goodrich, a two-time unanimous selection to the All-KCAC first team, led the team with 117 total assists, despite only playing in 21 of the Warriors 28 regular season games. Stutzman acts as the Warriors primary 3-point threat with 74 total 3-point baskets and a league leading 46.3 percent success rate from beyond the arc.
As a team, Sterling averaged 71.5 points per game in the regular season, while shooting 45.3 percent from the field.
McPherson (regular season - 17-12, 11-7 KCAC) wrapped up the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the KCAC, as the Bulldogs won nine of their last 10 games to climb from the bottom to the second seed in tournament play. MC's only loss during the stretch was in the regular season finale at Sterling College, 71-67.
McPherson rolled through its first two tournament rounds defeating Southwestern, 83-68, in the quarterfinals and beating Bethany College, 77-51 in the semifinals.
Much like their counterpart Sterling, the Bulldogs success has come from an explosive offensive attack and athletic play on the defensive end. McPherson ranks second in the KCAC in scoring offense averaging 72.5 points per game in the regular season, while leading in league in total rebound offense (1,121) and assists (437).
Juniors Aaron Frazier and Jordan Crawford, along with freshman Samson Shivers, are the key individuals for the 2010-11 Bulldogs. Shivers leads the team averaging just under 13 points a game. Much of Shivers' scoring comes from beyond the arc, as he paces the squad with 70 3-pointers on the season.
Crawford leads the team with five double-doubles in the regular season, including a 13-point and 22-rebound performance against Sterling on February 19. He averages 7.4 rebounds per contest to go along with his 11.1 points per game. Frazier, a 2009-10 All-KCAC honorable mention award winner, averages 11.1 points, while leading the team with 48 steals and 25 blocked shots despite standing only six feet tall.
As a team, McPherson averaged 72.5 points per game in the regular season, while shooting 42.4 percent from the field.
The Bulldogs are making their first appearance in the KCAC championship game since 1996 and are 0-2 in such contests, while the Warriors are 1-1 with their only tournament title coming in 2004.
Despite the outcome, both McPherson and Sterling will represent the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference in the 2001 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Tournament on March 9-15.
