Columbia, Mo. – It was another close defeat for the MC women's basketball team as they fell 65-57 to NAIA D-I William Woods University on Saturday in the Cost Cutters Tip-Off Classic, hosted by Columbia College.
The opening quarter was a back-and-forth battle as the teams traded buckets throughout; the largest lead of the first 10 minutes was four which the Owls held a few times; Mac shot 48% in the first period. In the second, William Woods began to take the lead, doing so mostly from the foul line; the team shot in seven of nine free throws. MC tried to keep pace and was able to score the final four points, bringing the halftime score to 32-27.
The 'Dogs scored on 11-of-28 from the floor with 3-of-9 going in from the arc; they shot in both of their free throw attempts. WWU connected on 9-of-28 field goals but was able to hit 12-of-15 free throws.
McPherson closed the gap in the third quarter as they stuck on the wings of the Eagles; Mac trailed 44-41 heading into the game's final 10 minutes. WWU started the fourth on an 11-2 run to jump in front 55-43. The Bulldogs got their deficit down to six but with under a minute to play, William Woods was able to hold on for the 65-57 win.
MC went 12-of-36 in the second half and struggled from deep, making just 2-of-10; they were 4-of-5 from the charity stripe. The Eagles hit near 50% from the floor, 10-of-21, and made their free throws, 13-of-24.
The Bulldogs shot 35.9 percent for the game, making 23-of-64 field goals with 5-of-19 three balls; the team shot well from the foul line when they got their opportunities, converting on 6-of-7. Mac pulled down 31 board with 11 coming on the offensive end of the court. McPherson took much better care of the ball on Saturday as they logged 15 assists to 11 turnovers; they also stole away eight and had seven blocks.
Bailey Brown hit double figures for the fourth-straight game, scoring 11 points on 3-of-7 field goals and 3-of-3 free throws; she also had three assists and a pair of steals in the game. Ashton Bruner added 10 points for MC on 4-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the stripe; she tallied 12 boards, five assists, two steals and a block as well. Georgia Smart was close to the double-digit mark with her nine points. Freshman Amanda Allen scored six points and tallied a whopping four blocks in the contest.
McPherson's next contest is the annual cross-town rivalry game against Central Christian College. The Bulldogs and Tigers will square off on Wednesday, November 11 at 6:00 p.m. (CT) in the McPherson College Sport Center.
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
