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McPherson, Kan. – Riding a two-game winning streak, the McPherson College women's basketball team will head up to Salina, Kansas to face the 15-6 Kansas Wesleyan University Lady Coyotes on January 31st; tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. (CT) with the JV getting underway at 1:00.
Mac's most recent victory came against Bethel College in the Sport Center this past Wednesday. The 'Dogs were down for the first several minutes but a 17-2 run midway through the opening period put MC up for the rest of the half; they led 38-29 at the break. McPherson shot in 14-of-30 from the field with 3-of-7 dropping from deep; they hit on all seven free throws. BC went 10-of-28 from the floor with a pair of three balls. Bailey Brown of the Bulldogs scored 20 points in the first 20 minutes.
The second half was very even with the two teams trading buckets throughout. Mac got up by as many as 15 but a late run by the Threshers made it a game down the stretch. The Bulldogs were resilient and made their final six free throws and a big three-ball in the final minutes to hold on for the 65-57 win. The 'Dogs connected on 8-of-26 field goals with only 2-of-10 coming from distance; they were 9-of-13 from the stripe. Bethel again made 10 of their tries and continued to struggle from behind the arc, 3-of-13.
Mac ended the night making 22-of-56 from the floor, 39.3%; they were 5-of-17 from deep and 16-of-20 from the stripe. The team grabbed 42 rebounds with 13 coming on the offensive side of the floor; the 'Dogs had 20 turnovers, 15 assists, 12, steals, and an incredible 10 blocks. 46 of McPherson's point total were scored in the paint.
Brown scored four points in the second half, finishing the game with a game-high 24; she was 8-of-13 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line. The junior pulled in four rebounds and led the team in assists with four; the 5-4 guard also had a pair of blocks. Georgia Smart scored nine and also had five rebounds. Whitney Jefferson added nine points to the cause including the late three pointer that sealed the game for the 'Dogs. Alicia Demaret bucketed 3-of-4 field goals, pulled down five defensive rebounds, and blocked away four shots.
Mac in the NAIA Rankings: With her four-block night, Alicia Demaret is now 19th in the NAIA D-II in total blocks with 39; she is 23rd in blocks per game at 1.7. Sunny Smart slid to 19th in total threes made at 55 and Bailey Brown is 24th in total scoring at 385 points.
All statistics are for KCAC games only.
Bulldogs vs. the KCAC: McPherson is third in defensive field goal percentage at 38.3% and rank atop the conference in blocked shots with their 4.5 average; they are also fifth in assists per game at 12.3. Individually, Brown is second in points scored with her 194 total, seven out of first place. S. Smart sits second in threes made with 24. Demaret leads the league in total blocks at 26. Jefferson is third in total assists with 33 through the team's 11 games.
Mac will stay on the road for their next contest as they travel to Tabor College on February 5th for a 6:00 p.m. contest with the Bluejays.
Scouting Kansas Wesleyan
The Coyotes are 15-6 on the year and 8-3 against the KCAC; they are currently one-game back from first place Friends, a team they beat this past Saturday, 62-61. KWU heads into their contest with Mac coming off a 68-53 drumming of the University of Saint Mary.
Kansas Wesleyan went up early as they roared out to a 12-2 lead just minutes into the contest; the Coyotes led by 10+ for nearly the entire first half with the peak coming at 18 points with five minutes to play. KWU headed into the locker room up 34-24. The team shot in 13-of-28 field goals with 6-of-13 dropping from deep while USM scored on 10-of-31 with just 2-of-12 threes going through the net.
In the second, Saint Mary tried to make it a game but were continually countered by the Coyotes. Kansas Wesleyan was never in any danger of losing the lead and took the game 68-53. KWU again shot the ball well as 10-of-25 field goals and all 12 free throws were counted. The Spires saw nine of their 25 tries go in with just 3-of-10 being from behind the arc; they went 8-of-11 from the charity stripe.
For the game, KWU shot in 43.4%, 23-of-53, with 8-of-22 threes finding the bottom of the net; they made all but one free throw, 14-of-15. The team grabbed 41 rebounds as they out-boarded USM by 15. The Coyotes also logged 16 turnovers, 16 assists, six blocks, and five steals. 32 points came from bench players for Kansas Wesleyan.
Vanessa Kresin led all scorers with her 15 points; she was 5-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the foul line; she also pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Kate Hula entered the game from the bench to score 12 points; she went 5-of-7 from the field and hit both of her tries from the stripe. Jenna Farris added 11 points to the cause, making 4-of-11 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws; she also grabbed 10 rebounds. Shelby Heim hit 3-of-5 three balls for her nine points.
All statistics are for KCAC games only.
Kansas Wesleyan is averaging 69.6 points a game and have a positive scoring margin of 6.5. They are third in the KCAC in both field goal and free throw percentage at 40.7% and 72.7%, respectively. The team leads the league in three-point percentage at 35 percent; they also make a KCAC-high 8.5 threes a night. The Coyotes pull in 35.5 rebounds a game to go along with their 15.7 turnovers, 13.2 assists, 8.9 steals, and 4.5 blocks. They are second in both blocks per contest and assist/turnover ratio at 0.84.
It is a usually a team effort for KWU as they have a range of players that can score on any given night. Kresin puts in a team-high 12.0 points a night; she has dropped in 44 field goals with 21 coming from deep, both leading the Coyotes. The senior also grabs a team-high 5.1 boards a night and has stolen 26 passes on the year. Farris is a close second in scoring with her 11.6 average; she too has made 44 field goals. Karlie Steinle adds in 9.8 per contest with the bulk coming on the charity stripe where she is 37-of-43.
Kansas Wesleyan has a non-conference contest with Grace University on February 2nd for their next outing.
