McPherson, Kan. – McPherson College men's basketball lost to Central Christian College for just the third time in the history of the rivalry 81-71. The 'Dogs still hold a 20-3 record on CCC but the two of the Tigers' wins have come in the past three years.
The Bulldogs went up on Central right off the bat, pushing the pace and seeing their shots fall. Central was left in the dust early but quickly recovered and kept the game within a handful. McPherson held the lead for the entire first period and took a 34-32 advantage into the locker room. Mac drained 10-of-24 field goals but was just 12-of-21 from the stripe while CCC made 12-of-35 from the floor.
In the second half, MC stayed in front but the Tigers used the energy from their home crowd to go on top three minutes in. The teams traded the lead for a couple possessions but a put-back by Central's big man gave CCC the lead for good with 14 to play. The Tigers increased their lead to double figures by the eight minute mark as MC couldn't get the necessary stops to bring them back in the game. The Bulldogs had one last surge with three minutes left and got their deficit to six a few times but never within a basket. Central took the game 81-71. Mac didn't shoot the ball poorly as 10-of-25 fell from the floor and 13-of-16 from the stripe. Central went 16-of-36 and also made 13 of their 15 free throws.
After it was all said and done, the Bulldogs shot in 20-of-49 from the field and 6-of-18 from beyond the arc; they went 25-fo-37 from the foul line. Rebounds cost McPherson as they gave up 20 offensive boards and 49 total; the 'Dogs grabbed 35 for the game. The team scored 34 points in the paint but had just 15 from their bench players.
Darius Hill led all scorers with his 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting and a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe; he tallied five rebounds and a pair of steals. TJ Grant tabbed 18, making 4-of-15 field goals and 8-of-12 foul shots; he logged a team-high five assists. Freshman Louis Parker III pulled in eight rebounds to lead McPherson.
It will be over a week before MC has their next contest. Baker University will come to town for the McPherson College Classic on November 21st; tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. (CT) in the Sport Center.
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
