McPherson, Kan. – It was a very even matchup between McPherson College and Bethany College on Saturday. After the 40-minute contest, the Swedes snuck out of the Sport Center with a 79-77 win.
"It's hard to know what to say because we played well enough to win," said Coach Swartzendruber. "For whatever reason we don't make the plays down the stretch. We play hard and we are playing better. We just need to get over the hump."
Bethany roared out to a quick 10-0 run as the Bulldogs racked up a few misses and a turnover in their first four possessions. Mac surged back and took the lead just before the midway point of the half; they would lead for the remainder of the period. MC jumped up double-digits with five to play and took a 46-38 advantage into the break. The 'Dogs connected on 19-of-31 field goals with 6-of-12 falling from downtown while Bethany dropped in 13-of-28 with 5-of-12 from range and 7-of-11 from the foul line.
McPherson continued to hold a slim lead throughout the first several minutes of the second period. The Swedes took their first lead since midway through the opening half with just over 10 minutes to play in the second. The teams traded the lead for the next several minutes. Bethany held the advantage for the final three and held off the 'Dogs for the 79-77 victory. Mac went 10-of-26 from the floor including 3-of-10 from deep. Bethany counted over 50% of their field goals, 17-of-33; they were just 2-of-8 from behind the arc and 5-of-9 from the charity stripe.
The Bulldogs ended the night hitting 29-of-57 from the field with 9-of-22 three balls finding the bottom of the net; they were 10-of-14 from the line. The 'Dogs grabbed 31 rebounds to go along with their 13 turnovers, 12 assists, seven steals, and three blocks. The team scored 38 in the paint and had 32 points come from the bench.
Chris Crook put in 8-of-15 from the floor including 4-of-10 from deep along with one free throw for his team-high 21 points; he also had three steals and a pair of assists. Darius Hill totaled 20 points on 8-of-10 field goals and 4-of-5 foul shots; he grabbed six rebounds. DeAndre Henson went 50% from deep, 4-of-8, and connected on 1-of-4 two pointers for his 14 points; he also had seven boards. TJ Grant tallied 10 points to go along with his team leading five assists.
McPherson will have their second consecutive Wednesday night contest on January 28th as they host Bethel College with tipoff set for 8:00 p.m. (CT); the junior varsity will begin at 3:00.
Make sure to follow Bulldog Nation on Facebook (MCathletics) and Twitter (@MAC_Bulldogs)
McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
