Men's Basketball | 12/3/2013 5:22:00 PM
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McPherson, Kan. – The 2013-14 KCAC season kicks off for Bulldog basketball this week as they host 0-8 Bethel College on December 5
th; the contest is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. (CT) in the Sport Center with JV kicking off at 4:00
Mac is coming off a couple of tough losses from the Saint Gregory's Classic over the Thanksgiving break. The 'Dogs started the classic by playing the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma on Nov. 29th. USAO took the initial lead but MC took control four minutes in and held the advantage for most of the first half; the lead never reached double figures throughout the 15 minutes McPherson was on top. The Drovers put together a 9-1 run to close out the period and headed into the break up 44-42. The Bulldogs made 15-of-30 from the field with four three balls and eight free throws while Science and Arts scored on 16-of-40 including eight from downtown.
Coming out of the locker room, USAO took control of the pace and stayed in front by a handful until a push at the midway point of the half increased it to double-digits; the Drovers got up 15 with five minutes to play. Mac mounted a comeback with an 11-0 run which got them within four with two minutes left. Unfortunately, MC could not hit their shots down the stretch and Science and Arts did, giving them the 86-81 triumph.
After it was all said and done, McPherson shot in 31-of-72 for a 43.1 field goal percentage; they cashed in on 4-of-20 three-point baskets and 15-of-28 free throws. The squad pulled in 47 rebounds, 10 more than USAO, with 18 offensive boards. A 1-to-1 assist to turnover ratio was tallied by MC with 14 of each.
Devirous Johnson finished out the game with 20 points, connecting on 3-of-4 from the floor in the second half with 2-of-4 from the stripe, closing out the contest making 9-of-11 field goals; he netted 14 rebounds. Joey Powers scored 18, hitting 8-of-16 with a pair of free throws; he led the team in assists with four. Brian Johnson recorded a double-double for Mac, putting in 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds; the junior tallied three assists in his team-high 36 minutes played. Samson Shivers ended the night with 14 points, going cold in the second period as he made just two free throws.
In game two of the classic, McPherson went up against host school SGU. It was a back-and-forth first five minutes as the two clubs traded leads throughout. The Cavaliers got up six thanks to a quick push but a 9-1 run by the 'Dogs put them in front a few minutes later. MC took their lead into the locker room as they were on top of the home team 39-35. The Bulldogs went 14-of-33 from the field with a pair of three-point shots and 9-of-12 from the foul line falling. Saint Greg's made 14 field goals, with two threes, as well; they hit 5-of-9 from the stripe.
McPherson came out and maintained their advantage for the first five of the second period but the Cavaliers, having played in a few big battles this season, were not deterred by Mac's lead and leapt over the 'Dogs with a 9-2 run. MC took the lead back on their next possession but never led after that. SGU stayed just out of reach for the remainder of the half and increased the score difference to double figures with six to play. When the clock struck zeros, the Cavs had a 94-81 victory.
For the 40-minute contest, MC made 31-of-68 for a shooting percentage of 45.6; they were 7-of-21 from range and 12-of-17 from the stripe. The team lost the rebounding battle with just 35 boards, 13 offensive. They had 14 assists and turnovers for the second-straight game and also forced 11 TOs of their opponent with five steals. The bench scored just eight points for the Bulldogs.
B. Johnson closed out the night with 21 points on 50 percent shooting (9-of-18 field goals and 2-of-4 free throws); he recorded another double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds and also led the team in assists with four. D. Johnson bucketed 19 points with 8-of-13 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the line; he pulled in seven rebounds. Powers continued to showcase his scoring ability as he brought in 17 points; he went 7-of-9 from the field with both three balls falling along with 1-of-2 free throws. Shivers was the final 'Dog to make it into double figures as he scored 11.
Bulldogs in the National Ranks: D. Johnson is still maintaining his superiority over the NAIA when it comes to rebounds; he now has 121 for the season which tops both divisions in total boards. D. Johnson is third in both defensive rebounds an outing (7.9) and total rebounds per game (12.1) while being fourth in offensive boards a contest (4.2). Shivers, with his 27 three-point field goals made, is 21st in the Nation.
The second conference matchup of the year will be against the University of Saint Mary on December 7th; the 'Dogs travel to Leavenworth, Kansas for the 5:00 p.m. matchup.
Scouting Bethel
The Threshers have had a tough non-conference schedule, playing several NAIA D-I schools and a couple NCAA institutions as well. They are losers of eight-straight with their closest game coming against Central Christian College last Saturday; the Tigers upended Bethel 71-62 in North Newton.
In their contest with CCC, the Threshers got up 10-1 early and held off the Tigers for most of the half. Central took the lead with five to play; BC ended the first period down 31-25 after being on the wrong end of a 19-7 run. After the break, the two squads stayed on pace with each other, Central maintained their slight advantage. Seven minutes into the half, Bethel pulled the score within three but couldn't get any closer; CCC would then go on a 15-8 surge to give them a comfortable 12-point lead. The Threshers had one last attempt at getting back in it and got as close as two but the Tigers finished the game with a 7-3 run, giving them the 71-62 victory.
Bethel hit on 33.3 percent from the field, connecting on 22-of-66 with 7-of-24 from range going through; they also made 11-of-16 free throws. Central drained 23-of-71 from the floor with just five three balls; the Tigers won the game with their 20 foul shots. BC trailed Central Christian in rebounds by one as the Threshers had 50 for the game; 13 came on the offensive end. Bethel also tallied 16 turnovers, 12 assists and four steals in the 40-minute contest.
Jody Keon Jones posted 14 points to lead BC; he converted 4-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe while netting a team-high five assists. Cody Cape and Tyler Ellis each bucketed 11 points; Cape was 5-of-11 from the floor with a free throw while Ellis made 3-of-7 threes and 1-of-2 two-point baskets. Kent Packard tallied a game-high 13 rebounds and also scored six in the game.
This season BC is averaging a conference-worst 62.0 points per game while having a -27.7 score margin; they make just 34.5% of their field goals, also bottom of the KCAC. The Threshers cash in only 3.75 balls from distance each time out, draining 24.4 percent; they do make over 70% from the foul line on average. They've netted 35.5 boards a game while picking up 9.5 assists but 17.3 turnovers. The team has 40 steals and 14 blocks in their eight games this year.
Robbie White is the leading scorer for Bethel; he totals 12.4 an outing and is making 38.4 percent from the field. Keon Jones is tallying just over 10 a game in his team leading 206 minutes played. Packard is the squad's top rebounder, hauling in 56 for the season and 7.0 per contest.
The Threshers' next game will also be on the road as they travel to Sterling, Kansas on December 7th.
