Men's Basketball | 2/10/2013 12:09:00 AM
Box Score
McPherson, Kan. – It was the
Samson Shivers (Houston, Texas) of old on Saturday night as he and the Bulldogs dismantled Kansas Wesleyan, squashing the Coyotes 92-76. Mac is now 11-16 on the year and 5-11 in the KCAC with two games to play.
KWU got up early and maintained a slim advantage for the game’s first seven minutes but then the tides turned and McPherson started to control things, playing the game at their pace. Both squads traded baskets for the majority of the half with nine ties and five lead changes. The Bulldogs finally started making some defensive stops in the final few minutes to help them increase their lead to 10 points which is where it stood as the halftime buzzer sounded. MC headed off the court with a 48-38 lead, scoring well above their season average in the first period.
Both teams did a decent job of hitting their first half attempts as McPherson made 13-of-34 with 7-of-18 three pointers falling through the basket; they made 15-of-18 from the charity stripe, helping them pull away late in the half. KWU cashed in on 13-of-38 from the field including five three balls; they tallied 7-of-9 from the foul line. The squads were ripping the ball down off the glass as 26 and 23 rebounds were recorded by Mac and the Coyotes, respectively. Turnovers were low in the first 20 minutes as Kansas Wesleyan totaled five while the ‘Dogs had just three.
In the second half, McPherson tried to increase their lead and got ahead by 15 in the early goings of the period but KWU would not go away and brought the score margin back to single figures less than five minutes into the half. Mac then went on a 13-1 run which increased their lead to 20 points with under 10 minutes to go. The Coyotes clawed back to get within 13 but another Bulldog mini-run kept the MC advantage in double-digits. McPherson held a comfortable 15+ lead for the final few minutes, making their shots from the charity stripe down the stretch; the ‘Dogs came out on top by a score of 92-76.
McPherson upped their field goal percentage in the game’s second 20 minutes as they drained 18-of-37 from the floor, shooting just eight three pointers in the final period; they were 2-of-8 from deep and a surprising 50% from the stripe, converting on 6-of-12. KWU equaled their first half total in points field goals as they made another 13-of-38 with five three pointers and seven free throws. The ‘Yotes more than doubled their turnovers as they committed seven in the second half, totaling 12 for the game.
MC closed out the competition nailing 31-of-71 field goals with 9-of-26 makes from behind the arc; they totaled a 70% free throw percentage, making 21-of-30. Shooting exactly as they did in the first half, Kansas Wesleyan ended the game hitting 34.2% from the field with 10 three-point buckets; 14-of-19 balls from the charity stripe found their way in. McPherson pulled down an incredible 52 rebounds while the Coyotes tallied 48. Mac recorded their second-most assists in a game with 18 while turning the ball over a season-low 10 times. The Bulldogs scored 46 of their points in the paint and outscored KWU 17-6 in bench points.
Shivers had a career night and even set a McPherson school record on Saturday; he was 10-of-23 from the floor, 6-of-15 from deep, and 11-of-13 from the foul line for 37 points while also totaling seven rebounds. Shivers’ 15 attempts from beyond the arc sets a MC record for most three-point attempts in a single game, breaking his own record of 14 which was set last season.
Jake Reinhardt (Walton, Kan.) also had a career night with his 12 points and 16 rebounds, both setting career marks and giving him his third double-double of the year; he was 3-of-5 from the field and 6-of-6 from the stripe.
Adam Bruner (McPherson, Kan.) scored 16 points, placing him second on the team’s scoring list; he hit on 7-of-11 from the floor but struggled from the free throw line, making 2-of-7.
Kyle Lakin (Oklahoma City, Okla.) led the team in assists with seven.
The KCAC’s leading scorer, Cannon Fields, ended the night with 27 points, most coming on late buckets; he made 8-of-21 from the field and 9-of-12 from the charity stripe. Fields also had 10 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. Michael Johnson put up 17 points for KWU, scoring on 6-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the foul line. Brock Borovetz and Dane Brinker each tallied 13 points in the loss.
The ‘Dogs travel to face KCAC No. 2 Sterling College on February 14
th; tipoff for the Valentine’s Day contest is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Make sure to follow Bulldog Nation on
Facebook (MCathletics) and
Twitter (@MAC_Bulldogs)
