Women's Basketball | 1/18/2014 10:53:00 PM
Box Score
Lindsborg, Kan. – It came down to the final shot attempt on Saturday between the Bulldogs and Bethany College; unfortunately for Mac, the last chance for the 'Dogs was swatted away, preserving Bethany's 63-61 win. MC is now 7-12 on the year and 3-5 in conference.
It was slow start scoring for McPherson, but thankfully it was a sluggish beginning for the Swedes as well. The first half was foul-heavy as 25 fouls were called and 34 free throws were taken, making for a long first 20 minutes. After the whistle finally blew to announce halftime, the home team Bethany held a one-point lead at 29-28.
Another tough shooting half for the Lady Bulldogs as just six field goals fell through with two coming from behind the arc; they made their living from the charity stripe, converting on 14-of-18. BC made one more basket, cashing in on 7-of-20 but whereas Mac made most of their total from the foul line, Bethany knocked down five from long range, going 5-of-12; they connected on 10-of-16 free throws.
Aubrey Barton scored 11 first half points and had 10 of McPherson's first 13;
Bailey Brown also netted double-digits in the opening period, scoring 10.
In the second, MC came out firing on all cylinders and quickly amassed a double-digit advantage; their lead was short lived as the Swedes came out of a timeout and chipped away. By the midway point of the half, the two teams were just a couple points away from each other, making for an intense battle down the stretch. Bethany got on top and led by six with two minutes to play. The 'Dogs knocked in a three ball to pull closer and then on the next possession got within two with four seconds left. BC was at the line for a 1-and-1 and missed the front end, giving McPherson hope. The ball was quickly pushed up the court and Brown had one last chance, driving for a fast-break layup. Meeting her there was a Swede player who rejected her shot attempt, giving Bethany their first KCAC win of the season.
The 'Dogs made 9-of-29 from the field in the second half including 4-of-16 from behind the three-point arc; they tabbed 11-of-13 from the stripe. BC hit over 50% from the floor with 14-of-26 going down; they made four more from distance but just 2-of-6 from the free throw line.
Mac ended the game shooting 30 percent, counting 15-of-49 with 6-of-27 dropping from deep; they had an impressive showing from the foul line as 25-of-31 (80.6%) found their way to the bottom of the net. The Lady Bulldogs grabbed 27 rebounds, four more than Bethany, which includes nine off the offensive glass. They had 19 turnovers, nine steals and seven assists in the loss.
Brown (Glen Elder, Kan.) scored a game-high 17 points and posted a 50% shooting performance, hitting 6-of-12 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point land; she also made three of her four free throws while pulling down a team-high eight rebounds.
Barton (Pratt, Kan.) counted 15 for the game, making just 3-of-10 from the floor but 9-of-10 from the charity stripe.
Chandler Short (Edgewood, Texas) also hit double-digits with her 10 points on 8-of-9 from the foul line and 1-of-7 from the field.
MC will be at home on this Wednesday, January 22 when the Lady Builders of Southwestern College come to town; the 6:00 p.m. (CT) contest will wrap up the first round of KCAC play.
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