Men's Basketball | 1/17/2012 1:00:00 PM
Game 21: No. 6 McPherson College (18-2, 7-1) at Bethany College (6-10, 4-4)
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 | 8 p.m. (CT) | Hahn Gymnasium | Lindsborg, Kan.
Game Notes (PDF)
Live Video
Live Audio
McPherson, Kan. - The No. 6 McPherson College men’s basketball team wraps up its first run through of its conference schedule as the Bulldogs travel to Bethany College on Wednesday evening. Tipoff between the Bulldogs and the Swedes from Hahn Gymnasium is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CT).
Wednesday’s game will be streamed live on the KCAC Broadcast Network, while 96.7 FM KBBE and McPherson play-by-play man Nick Gosnell provide radio coverage for the McPherson area. Additionally, a live audio stream will be available at Macbulldogs.com.
The Bulldogs enter the matchup riding a three-game win streak following a 69-66 overtime victory against Ottawa University last Saturday. Despite shooting a near season low 34.0 percent (17-of-50), including only two 3-pointers, McPherson scored a season-high 33 points at the free throw line as the two teams combined for 60 personal fouls and 83 free throw attempts.
Individually, senior forward
Chris Crawford (McPherson, Kan.) posted his second double-double with 20 points, including 10 at the free throw line, and 11 rebounds, while senior guard
Aaron Frazier (McPherson, Kan.) scored 19 points and recorded a career-high four blocks. Frazier, who entered the game 15 points shy of the 1,000-point plateau, became the 16th Bulldog to reach mark following a pair of free throws with 7:36 remaining in the second period. Frazier is the active point’s leader for McPherson with 1,004 career points.
As a team, McPherson continues to be one of the top defensive squads nationally, ranking amongst the top 20 in defensive rebounding (31.2), field goal percentage defense (38.8 percent), total rebounds per game (44.0), turnover margin (3.6), total rebound margin (6.8) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (30.9 percent). MC is allowing opponents an average of 67.4 points per game, while scoring 79.1.
Bethany is currently 6-10 overall and 4-4 in the KCAC following an 0-2 week that saw BC drops games at the University of Saint Mary, 80-72, and against No. 16 Southwestern College, 87-73. Prior to the two losses, the Swedes had won four of their last five games.
After Bethany, McPherson returns home for Bethel College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CT) at the McPherson College Sport Center.
Scouting Bethany
Under the direction of head coach Clair Oleen, Bethany has been one of the KCAC’s most dangerous programs over the past 19 seasons. During his tenure, the Swedes have won more than 250 games, three KCAC tournament championships and qualified for three national tournaments. This season, Bethany is 6-10 overall and 4-4 in KCAC play following an 87-73 loss against No. 16 Southwestern College on Saturday.
Against Southwestern, Bethany shot 36.1 percent (30-of-83) from the field, while the defense struggled to slow down the potent Moundbuilder offense. SWC finished the game shooting 58.2 percent (32-of-55) from the floor, including 4-for-10 from beyond the arc. Despite the loss, center Haydon Parks posted a season-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting, while guard Trey Beachum recorded a season best 23 points in the effort.
On the season, Bethany averages 71.1 points per game on 40.4 percent shooting from the field. Despite their respectable field goal percentage, the Swedes have struggled from long range, converting only 29.7 percent of 3-point attempts. Defensively, BC allows 71.5 points per game and forces 12.9 turnovers.
The Swedes triangle offense is keyed by Beachum, forward Chris Dean and Parks. Beachum averages a team leading 15.8 points per game, which ranks fifth in conference, on 40.2 percent shooting. He has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, including nine games of at least 15 points.
Parks is second on the squad at 11.5 points per game, while leading the team in field goal percentage (49.3 percent) and rebounding (7.4 rebounds per game). Parks’ performance against Southwestern marks the second time this season he has reached the 20-point plateau. He also leads the team with seven double-doubles.
Dean, who played at McPherson during the 2007-08 season, averages 11.4 points per game and 5.1 rebounds. He owns two double-doubles of the year.
After McPherson, Bethany remains home for a matchup with Kansas Wesleyan University. Tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, Jan. 21.
In their last meeting...
McPherson, Kan. (02/26/11) – Behind a 52 point offensive explosion in the first half, the McPherson College men’s basketball team won its eighth straight contest, as the Bulldogs downed Bethany College, 81-68, Saturday night at the McPherson Sport Center.
The Bulldogs shot 55.3 percent (21-of-38) from the field and 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from beyond the arc in the first twenty minutes to take a 52-35 lead into the break. MC cooled in the second period, but held off the Swedes en route to the victory.
Freshman guard Samson Shivers (Houston, Texas) tallied his 19th double figure scoring game of the season, as he paced the Bulldog offense with 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including a 4-of-8 effort from beyond the arc, while junior forward Jordan Crawford (McPherson, Kan.) chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Aaron Frazier (McPherson, Kan.) recorded a game high eight rebounds.
In opposite fashion to Thursday night’s game with Tabor, McPherson came out firing early building an 11-8 lead behind strong post play from Crawford, Mason Hewitt (Norwich, Kan.) and Jake Reinhardt (Walton, Kan.). The Bulldogs added to their lead a few minutes later with a 6-0 run leading to a Bethany timeout. All three scores came off Swede turnovers with four points coming from Chris Crawford (McPherson, Kan.).
Bethany attempted to cut into the lead, but Shivers found his three-point stroke with a pair of treys to open an 8-0 run that extended MC’s margin to 34-22 with 7:41 left in the opening period. The Bulldogs kept their foot on the gas, outscoring BC 15-8 over the final seven minutes to enter the locker room with a 52-35 advantage.
The opening of the second period looked much like the first after a Crawford jumper and Shivers four-point play made the score 58-37. However, Bethany failed to go away, outscoring MC 18-5 over the next seven minutes to cut the lead to seven, 63-56.
McPherson answered the run with a pair of baskets by Frazier and Crawford, 67-56, to push the advantage back to double figures. The two sides traded baskets over the next three minutes, before the Bulldog defense clamped down allowing only one Swede field goal the rest of the way. Along with a solid defensive effort, MC converted 6-of-7 free throws down the stretch.
The Bulldogs finished the night shooting 45.6 percent (31-of-68) from the field, 39.1 percent (9-of-23) from beyond the arc and 83.3 percent (10-of-12) from the free throw line. MC’s 83.3 percent effort at the foul line marks the third straight game that the Bulldogs have shot at least 80.0 percent.
