Women's Basketball | 2/17/2014 11:59:00 AM
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McPherson, Kan. – The final home game of the 2013-14 season brings in inter-county rival Bethany College; the February 20
th matchup is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. (CT). A win on Thursday guarantees McPherson a spot in the post-season conference tournament.
The Bulldogs are coming off a well-played contest against Ottawa University from this past Saturday. Mac jumped out of the gate and went up 6-1 but multiple free throws by the Lady Braves put OU ahead shortly thereafter. The lead was exchanged for the rest of the half and the teams went into their respective locker rooms tied at 26 apiece. The 'Dogs converted on 9-of-25 from the field with 3-of-10 dropping from long range; they hit 5-of-9 from the stripe. Ottawa scored on a mere 5-of-25 field goals and missed all nine from beyond the arc; they got the bulk of their points from the foul line, making 16-of-20.
After trailing for the first couple possessions, MC got back in front and stayed in the lead for the remainder of the night; the team's lead peaked at 18. OU occasionally pulled their deficit to single figures but were always denied by the Bulldogs; Mac held off a late charge to take the 70-60 win. McPherson made 13-of-26 from the floor including 4-of-7 from downtown; they were 14-of-21 from the foul line. The Lady Braves connected on 10-of-28 but just 4-of-14 from deep; they shot in 10 of their 16 free throws in the second half.
After it was all said and done, McPherson was 22-of-51 for the night; they made 7-of-17 from long range and 19-of-30 from the stripe. The team gobbled up 46 rebounds, 13 more than the Lady Braves. MC also netted 19 turnovers, 13 assists, six steals and four blocks. 36 of their total came in the paint and 13 were second-chance points.
The top scorer for the game was Barton as she scored a career-high 25, knocking down 11-of-14 from the floor including 2-of-2 from distance; she ended the night making 1-of-3 free throws. Barton hauled in eight boards and swatted away three of OU's shot attempts as well. Bailey Brown also hit a career-high as she totaled 21 points on 4-of-10 from the field and 11-of-13 from the stripe; she also grabbed eight rebounds and handed out four assists. Callie Atkins added 10 points to the effort, making 4-of-11 with a pair of three balls. Bre Gillespie tabbed a team-high 10 rebounds to go along with her six points and four assists.
Bulldogs in the National Rankings: Following a pair of three-block nights, Barton is now 33rd in the NAIA D-II in Total Blocks with 37 on the year. The Mac defense has moved up to 25th in Three-Point Defensive Field Goal Percentage, 28.8, and sits 28th in overall Defensive Field Goal Percentage, 37.4.
Scouting McPherson: The Lady 'Dogs sit at 9-19 on the year, 5-11 in the KCAC which keeps them tied at seventh. They are putting in just under 60 points a game and have a negative scoring margin of 5.79; the team is scoring 36.5 percent from the floor and just 27.7 from downtown. The squad pulls in 39.1 rebounds per contest and tab 19 turnovers, 12 assists, 7.5 steals and 2.6 blocks on average. In their 16 KCAC outings, MC is scoring 59.25ppg with 38.5% of their field goals dropping; they lead the conference in free throw percentage at 72.3. The defense is allowing 65.88 each time out on 39.8 percent shooting. Mac is totaling 35.44 rebounds a game along with 19 turnovers, 11.75 assists, 7.0 steals and 3.19 blocks.
The Bulldogs will close out the regular season with a road trip to Winfield, Kansas were the KCAC Regular Season Champions will be waiting; Mac faces Southwestern College on February 22nd with tipoff commencing at 5:00 p.m.
Scouting Bethany
The Lady Swedes, first-year head coach, are 5-23 on the year and 3-13 in the KCAC. After a tough first go-around of the conference, BC has won two league contests thus far through the second round with a 58-57 upset of Kansas Wesleyan University coming this past Saturday.
The defense was working well for Bethany against the Coyotes as they allowed just 18 points in the opening period, BC scored 25. In the second, KWU outscored the Lady Swedes 39-33 but Bethany held on for the one-point victory. BC made 21-of-54 from the field including seven of their 23 three-point tries; only 9-of-14 free throws dropped. For Kansas Wesleyan, they had a tough time finding the bottom of the net as they saw a mere 33.3 percent of their 51 attempts be counted with 5-of-14 going down from distance; 18-of-28 foul shots were made by the Lady 'Yotes. Bethany tabulated just 26 rebounds to go along with 21 turnovers, 13 assists, 10 steals and three blocks.
Alex Brammer went off for Bethany, scoring a near career-high 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 from the stripe. Rebecca Kerlikowske came in from the bench to be the only other Swede to hit double-digits; she was perfect for the night, making all three field goals, including two from deep, and both free throws for 10 points. The team's top rebounder was Evin Sullivan who pulled down seven to go along with her six points.
Through their 28 competitions, BC is scoring 59.5 points but allow over 70 on average; they knock down 36.9 from the floor with 33.2 percent of their shots from long range falling in. The team averages 31 rebounds, 19.5 turnovers, 9.8 assists, 7.8 steals and 1.4 blocks each time they hit the court. In the KCAC this season, Bethany is netting a conference-low 55.12 points a game, making 36.4 percent from the field and 32% from distance; the team is giving up an average of 69.75 points per contest. They are last in the league in rebounds a night with just 28.62; the Swedes are in the bottom half of the KCAC in turnovers (18.12), assists (9.56), steals (6.19), and blocks (1.62).
On the year, Brammer is the lone Swede to hit double figures on a regular basis; she nets 11.8 a contest and leads the way in free throws made with 81. Ashley Carey is next on the list with her 9.8 average; she's made a team-high 104 field goals and also tops the club in rebounds a night with 4.8. Vickie Dolan has made an impressive 55 three-point field goals this season; she's only attempted 62 total field goals on the year.
Bethany needs to win out to have a chance of making the KCAC tournament; their final matchup is on the road against the 11-15 Bethel College Threshers.
