Women's Basketball | 2/22/2014 7:53:00 PM
Box Score
Winfield, Kan. – The Lady Bulldogs gave Southwestern College all they had on Saturday, forcing the Moundbuilders to bring their A-game if they wanted to finish undefeated in the KCAC. After 40 minutes of fierce competition, MC was handed a loss from the conference's top team 69-54. The defeat puts the 'Dogs at 10-20 on the year and 6-12 in the league, tying them with Sterling College and Bethel College for sixth place.
Mac came out and led for the first several minutes of the game against the Builders, leading by as many as six; Southwestern battled back and took over the lead just before the midway point of the half. The teams went back and forth for the next few possessions but then the Moundbuilders put together a run to close out the half on top 37-29.
McPherson put 9-of-28 through the hoop in the first 20 minutes including 4-of-13 from downtown; they hit seven of their 10 free throws. SWC scored on 12-of-31 with 5-of-17 dropping in from beyond the arc; 8-of-9 foul shots were counted by the Builders.
In the second half, MC's deficit hovered around the 10-point range most of the way; the 'Dogs got within a couple baskets but a 13-2 run by Southwestern put them in front by 20 with right under 10 minutes to play. McPherson didn't go away but were never able to get the score-gap back to single figures the rest of the way; 12 was the closest the Bulldogs got but only 1:29 remained on the clock. Time expired with the Builders walking away with a 69-54 win.
The 'Dogs converted 10-of-30 in the final half with just 3-of-11 three balls going down; the team went 2-of-3 from the stripe. Southwestern cashed in on 12-of-26 from the floor and 4-of-12 from distance; they made only 4-of-7 from the foul line.
McPherson ended the game shooting in 32.8 percent of their field goals; they drained 7-of-24 from range and 9-of-13 from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs pulled in 40 rebounds with 14 coming on the offensive side of the court. MC also tabulated 16 turnovers, 13 assists, and nine steals in their loss. 30 of their points were scored in the paint while 20 came from bench players.
Cami Engelbert (Beloit, Kan.) led the scoring for Mac with her 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting; she also made three of her four free throws and tabbed a team-high three steals. Aubrey Barton (Pratt, Kan.) put 10 points through the hoop, cashing in on 4-of-8 from the field including 2-of-3 from behind the three-point line; the freshman was second on the team in rebounding as well with eight. Breahna Gillespie (Little River, Kan.) totaled nine rebounds to go along with her four points. Sunny Smart (Coffeeville, Okla.) knocked down 3-of-6 from distance for her nine points; she also had a team leading three assists.
It's back to Winfield for the Lady Bulldogs as they square off against the No. 1 Southwestern College Moundbuilders in the opening round of the 2013-14 KCAC Women's Basketball Postseason Tournament; the game will take place on Wednesday, February 26 at 7:00 p.m. (CT)
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