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McPherson, Kan. – In their last non-conference game of the 2014-15 season McPherson College men's basketball will travel to Baldwin City, Kansas to take on the Baker University Wildcats. Start time for the January 3rd contest is set for 4:00 p.m. (CT)
Mac is coming off a tough couple of losses at the Holiday Classic hosted by Morningside College of Iowa. The Bulldogs dropped an 85-53 contest to the host school in day one of the classic and then lost 87-62 to Briar Cliff University (Iowa) in their final game of the classic.
In both of the outings, McPherson took on top-25 schools that shot the ball over 50%; Coach Swartzendruber said that these were the two best schools the team has faced this season.
Against Morningside, the Bulldogs shot in 19-of-58 from the floor and went 3-of-12 from distance; they connected on 12-of-24 free throws. 37 rebounds were recorded by MC including 13 on the offensive end. They netted 11 turnovers, eight steals, and seven assists. The Bulldogs scored just 18 points in the paint and were outscored 40-8 from the bench.
On Tuesday, McPherson converted 24-of-55 shot attempts for the game (43.6%) but drained just 2-of-7 three pointers; their free throw percentage was 60% as just 12-of-20 fell through. A mere 26 rebounds were recorded by MC; Briar Cliff pulled down 36. The 'Dogs also tabbed 10 turnovers, six assists, four steals, and a pair of blocks.
This season the Bulldogs count 72 points a game and have a negative scoring margin of 6.5; they make 40.5% from the floor and 31.5 from deep. The team hits on 66.6 percent from the foul stripe. Mac tabs 36.7 rebounds, 13.2 turnovers, 11.9 assists, 6.5 steals, and 2.6 blocks a game.
Darius Hill is the leading scorer and rebounder for MC with his 18.2 and 9.3 averages; he has played in a team-high 470 minutes through 15 games. TJ Grant, who scored a career-high 31 against BCU, averages 13.4 points a game and has made a team-high 61 free throws on the year; he also leads the way in assists with 66. DeAndre Henson nets 12.4 points a night and has connected on 22-of-68 three balls, leading the team in both makes and attempts.
McPherson will travel to Sterling, Kansas for their first KCAC game of 2015; tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. (CT) on January 8th.
Scouting Baker
The Wildcats are currently 7-5 and winners of their last two games, 79-61 over Graceland University (Iowa) and 88-76 against Haskell Indian Nations University; the team played an exhibition contest with NCAA D-II Washburn University on December 31st.
This season Baker scores just 67.1 points per game but has a positive scoring margin of 2.0; they drop in 43.7 percent of their field goals. The Wildcats connect on 30.9% from beyond the arc and 67.4% from the charity stripe. They grab 38.2 rebounds a night with a positive margin of 5.8. The team averages 11.8 turnovers, 9.3 assists, 5.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
Baker has started four players in each of their 12 contests. One of those is EJ Carter who is the top scorer for the Wildcats with his 11.5 average; the forward has made a team-high 54 field goals on the year and also leads the team in rebounds with his 5.8 average. Javeion Gray scores 10.3 points a night and has played in a team leading 348 minutes throughout the 12-game season, 29 minutes a game; he has made a team-high 35 free throws and also leads the way in assists with 38.
The Wildcats will face Benedictine College on January 8th for their first conference game of the New Year.
