Women's Basketball | 1/7/2012 7:12:00 PM
Box Score Wichita, Kan. – Guard Abby Fawcett led four Falcons in double figures with 22 points, as the McPherson College women’s basketball team fell, 64-82, at Friends University Saturday evening.
The loss is the second straight for the Bulldogs as they move to 8-8 overall and 3-3 in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference play. Friends improved to 11-6 on the season and 6-0 in the league.
Both sides finished the night shooting around 40 percent with McPherson converting 41.2 percent (28-of-68) attempts. However, the Falcons shot 29 more free throws and held a 21-4 advantage in scoring at the line, while also outrebounding the Bulldogs 52-32.
Guard
Brittany Pittas (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) came off the bench to pace McPherson with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Pittas was joined in double figures by
Elice Frey (Riley, Kan.), who added 12 points, respectively.
The Bulldogs opened the contest with eight straight points, before Friends answered with back-to-back baskets by Fawcett and Abril Marshall to make it 8-5 with 15:46 remaining in the period. Friends took their first lead of the game eight minutes later when Marshall capped a 13-0 run with a pair of layups to give the Falcons a 23-18 lead.
Brooke Weisenburger (Gardner, Kan.) answered the run with two consecutive jumpers to cut the deficit to 23-22, but the Bulldogs failed to get the go-ahead basket as Friends entered the locker room with a 38-31 advantage.
Similarly to the first half, the Bulldogs opened the second half the aggressor. MC outscored Friends 15-9, including a 12-4 run spanning more than three minutes to make it a 46-49 Falcon lead with 14:27 left in regulation.
McPherson would continue the pressure, while the Falcons opened the half 1-for-10 from the foul line to pull within 52-54 following a Pittas runner. Friends, however, would seize control from that point forward, outscoring the Bulldogs 28-12 over the final seven minutes of the half.
In addition to Fawcett, Friends received a strong performance from Marshall, who posted 17 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
McPherson returns to action on Thursday, Jan. 12, when they host Kansas Wesleyan University at 6 p.m.
