Women's Basketball | 11/22/2013 11:16:00 PM
Box Score
McPherson, Kan. – It was a fun one in the second game of the 2013 McPherson College Classic as the Lady Bulldogs took out AIB College of Business in a 76-74 overtime thriller. MC is now 3-5 this season, winning their last two.
The 'Dogs scored the first basket of the game and looked to be in total control, getting ahead 6-0 within the first few minutes of the contest. AIB started to hit their shots but still trailed McPherson by as much as eight. Mac was ahead 34-27 with less than three to play in the first period, still keeping their slight advantage. The Eagles would then go on a 10-2 run to end the half with a 37-36 lead.
MC shot 15 three pointers in the first 20 minutes, hitting five; they were 6-of-17 from the rest of the floor, missing a lot of short-range shots that could have extended their lead. A 9-of-15 showing from the charity stripe by the Bulldogs also kept the window open for AIB. The Eagles made 41.2% from the field with 4-of-13 three-point attempts making their way through the net; they cashed in on 5-of-8 free throws. Bailey Brown (Glen Elder, Kan.) scored 12 to lead all scoring, making 3-of-6 with a pair of three balls and 3-of-4 from the line.
In the second half, AIB appeared to hold a grip on the Lady 'Dogs, keeping them at arm's length for most of the half but could only get ahead by eight at their peak. MC put together a 7-0 run to take the lead with five minutes to play, and that's where the fun began. Following two quick lead-changes, the Bulldogs strung some baskets together and got up by five with 1:12 to play in regulation. Back-to-back makes by AIB pulled them within one and one made free throw by McPherson pushed it to two with 23 ticks left. The Lady Eagles scored following an offensive rebound on their next possession tying things up and forcing overtime.
OT brought out the best in the Lady 'Dogs as they scored the first bucket and didn't trail after that. Hitting 6-of-8 free throws and 2-of-5 from the floor gave MC a five-point lead with just three seconds left. AIB scored on a last-second shot from deep but it was only worth three points, allowing McPherson to take the victory 76-74.
Mac improved their shooting percentage in the final 25 minutes, scoring on 10-of-26 with 4-of-8 from long range and 16-of-23 from the line. The Eagles made just 28.6 of their shots but took 23 more attempts than the Bulldogs; they converted on 3-of-17 from behind the arc and 6-of-11 from the stripe.
Following the 45 minute contest, MC posted a 36.2 field goal percentage, making 21-of-58 with 9-of-23 going in from the three-point line; they tallied 23-of-38 free throws for a 65.8 percentage. Mac hauled in 56 rebounds with a whopping 43 defensive boards. McPherson scored 34 points from their bench players and tabulated 15 assists but 23 turnovers.
Four MC athletes tallied double-digits, led by Chandler Short (Edgewood, Texas) and Sunny Smart (Coffeeville, Okla.), neither of which started for the Bulldogs. Short was 4-of-8 from the floor with 2-of-5 three balls and 6-of-8 free throws going in while Smart nailed 5-of-11 field goals, 3-of-6 being from range, and 3-of-4 from the stripe; Smart also led the team in assists with five. Brown recorded another double-double with her 15 points and a team-high 11 boards; she put in 7-of-10 from the line and 3-of-7 field goals. Aubrey Barton (Pratt, Kan.) was the final McPherson player to get over the 10-point hump with 13; she made 3-of-12 from the field but just 2-of-6 from the foul line.
The 'Dogs now play Northern New Mexico College at 4:00 p.m. (CT) tomorrow, November 23rd in their second game of the classic. The other KCAC team in the classic, Bethel College, took out Northern New Mexico in the opening game 61-43.
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