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McPherson, Kan. – The 2014-15 KCAC season picks back up for the MC men's basketball team on January 8th as the Bulldogs travel to Sterling, Kansas where the Warriors of Sterling College will be waiting; start time is set for 8:00 p.m. (CT) with the junior varsity getting underway at 4:00.
For the first time in a while, McPherson will be heading into the game coming off a win as the 'Dogs took down Baker University 75-64 on the road this past Saturday. Mac started out slow but flew past the Wildcats on a 9-0 run midway through the half; the Bulldogs more than doubled up BU in the final nine minutes before heading into the locker room up 35-30. MC held Baker to just 9-of-22 shooting in the opening period.
McPherson held a slim lead for most of the second period but never trailed in the final 20 minutes. The 'Dogs went up double-digits with seven minutes left in the contest and drained their last 12 free throws which pushed them to the 75-64 victory. A solid 12-of-22 showing from the floor, 5-of-7 were from distance, helped the Bulldogs stay on top throughout the second half.
McPherson ended the game making 23-of-50 from the field, 46%, and bucketed 8-of-15 from range, 53.3 percent; 21-of-28 free throws were netted by the Bulldogs. The team grabbed 32 rebounds and also recorded 14 turnovers, 12 assists, and seven steals. 25 points came from bench players for MC.
DeAndre Henson didn't start the game but ended the night with a team-high 18 points; he was 5-of-8 including four three balls. The guard/forward combo was 4-of-4 from the charity stripe and also led the team rebounds with eight. Both TJ Grant and Darius Hill tabbed 15 points for Mac. Grant went 3-of-6 from the floor and made all eight of his free throws; Hill connected on 5-of-16 field goals and 5-of-5 foul shots. Chris Crook, who also had a team-high four steals, was the final Bulldog to hit double-digits with his 12; he hit on 4-of-7 from the field and also 3-of-4 from the stripe.
Bulldogs in the Rankings: Darius Hill sits fifth in the NAIA D-II in total rebounds with 146; he is 13th in rebounds per game at 9.1 and 16th in offensive rebounds a night at 3.3. TJ Grant is 21st in total assists with 73. As a team, McPherson ranks 17th in offensive rebounds per game with 13.4.
Mac will host Ottawa University on January 10th for their first home contest of the New Year. Tipoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. and the junior varsity will play Hesston College at 3:00.
Scouting Sterling
The Warriors are currently 5-10 and are winners of three of their last four. After going 0-4 to KCAC schools prior to break, SC defeated Northern New Mexico and Johnson & Wales of Colorado in the J&W Classic. In the Tabor Classic this past weekend, Sterling dropped a 76-64 contest to Missouri Valley College before beating Culver-Stockton (Mo.) 94-74.
Against the Wildcats, Sterling had a very strong first 10 minutes as they led by as many as seven. CSC bounced back and took a seven-point lead themselves. The halftime score sat at 36-33 in favor of Culver-Stockton.
After a slow start of the second, SC exploded with a 61-point half. They got their lead permanently to double-digits by the eight-minute mark and continued to hit shots down the stretch. CSC had a rough second half shooting and fell 94-74.
Sterling dropped in 44.6 percent of their field goals in the game and bucketed 12-of-30 (40%) from behind the three-point line; they did struggle from the foul line as just 16-of-29 went in. 49 total rebounds were tabbed by the Warriors which includes 17 offensive boards. The team netted 20 assists, 10 turnovers, six steals, and two blocks in their win.
Brandon Stacker scored a team-high 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting with 8-of-15 free throws dropping; he also led the team in rebounds with six. Braden Thompson added 17 to the cause; he was 4-of-8 from deep, 1-of-3 from inside the ark, and 3-of-5 from the stripe. The final double-digit scorer was Zach Eubanks who counted 4-of-5 from downtown for 12 points. Four different Warriors recorded four assists.
This season Sterling is averaging 67.6 points a game and has a negative scoring margin of 7.6. They convert on 39.5% from the floor and 31.8 from deep; they connect on 64.6 percent from the free throw line. 38.3 rebounds a game are logged by SC along with 15.5 turnovers, 13.4 assists, 4.5 steals, and 3.4 blocks.
Thompson is scoring a team-high 12.9 points a game and has put through team-highs 63 field goals and 35 three balls; he nets 4.4 rebounds an outing. Stacker scores 10.5 on average and has made a team leading 40 free throws. Fayola Oyatayo is the top rebounder for Sterling with his 5.8 average.
The Warriors will face Bethel College on January 10th in Sterling.
