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McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College men's basketball team will have a heavy challenge on Saturday as they take on NAIA No. 15 Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, where the Bluejays are currently undefeated. Tipoff for the JV game is at 3:00 p.m. (CT) with varsity slated for 7:00.
Scouting McPherson
The Bulldogs are stuck in a bit of a rut, having lost six-straight including four KCAC matchups. The record for Mac can be a bit misleading as they have lost three of their last four by three points or less. The latest heartbreaker for McPherson came this past Thursday at Bethany College.
Last Time Out – The Bulldogs struggled to make stops or score points in the opening minutes against BC, leading to a 15-point advantage for the Swedes. Slowly but surely Mac began chipping away at their deficit and with less than three minutes to play, the 'Dogs took their first lead of the night. A late three-ball by MC put them on top 45-43 at the break. In the second half, McPherson pushed their advantage to eight but a run by Bethany swung the lead to the Swedes with five to play in the game. The Bulldogs pulled within one basket late but a couple of late tries fell off target, giving the game to BC, 91-89. Mac shot in 42.9% for the game, 30-of-70, with 9-of-26 threes going in; they hit an incredible 20-of-21 free throws. The 'Dogs totaled 37 rebounds along with 13 turnovers, 12 assists, four steals, and a block.
Chris Crook led MC in scoring with his 24 points on 6-of-15 field goals and 10-of-11 free throws; he also had five rebounds. Ramon Martinez had a stellar second half, going 7-of-7 in the period; he finished the game making 9-of-12 for 19 points. Grant Raleigh put in 15 points from the bench in his 26 minutes of play; the freshman hit 5-of-13 from the floor and both of his foul shots. Ryan O'Hara closed out the game with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting; the junior led the team in rebounds with eight
Year at a Glance – Through their 13 games, Mac is averaging 74.9 points a night, ninth in the KCAC; they are fourth in points allowed at 79.7. The Bulldogs make 40% from the floor with a conference-low 29.8 dropping from deep; their 76.3 free throw percentage is the highest in the league. MC is also towards the top of the KCAC in defensive field goal percentage at 41.3%. The team grabs 38.5 rebounds each time out along with tallying 12.7 turnovers, 11.2 assists, 6.3 steals, and 1.9 blocks.
Crook has amassed 209 points on the year for a 16.1 average; the junior leads the way in three-point field goals and free throws with 27 and 58, respectively. Dee Roberts sits at a 14.5 average and has made a team-high 72 field goals with 25 coming from range. Martinez made it over the 10-point hump for his points per game which is now at 10.5; he also grabs 5.6 rebounds a night. O'Hara tallies 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds every time he hits the court.
McPherson will play their final conference game of the 2015 calendar year next Tuesday, December 15 as they host Oklahoma Wesleyan University for an 8:00 p.m. tipoff.
Scouting Tabor
The KCAC preseason No. 1 has been living up to the hype as they sit at 11-2 on the year and 5-0 against conference foes. Though the team is undefeated against the league, they've have a few close calls; four of the five are wins by less than 10 points. In their latest triumph, Tabor used a strong second half to take out Oklahoma Wesleyan 91-82.
Last Time Out – It was a very tight first half between TC and the Eagles; just four points was the largest lead by either team. After 20 minutes of play, OKWU led 41-40. Playing on their home court, Tabor took the lead two minutes into the period and never let it go. The Bluejays never led by double-digits but hit enough free throws down the stretch to take the game, 91-82. Tabor made 26-of-58 field goals for a 44.8 shooting percentage; they dropped in 8-of-21 threes and 31-of-41 free throws. The team grabbed 41 rebounds with 13 off the offensive glass. The 'Jays also recorded 16 turnovers, 10 assists, eight steals, and five blocked shots.
Lance Carter scored a game-high 19 points on 5-of-16 shooting with 8-of-13 free throw tries falling in; he also had seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Tying Carter for the lead was Malik Brooks who scored on 4-of-9 field goals and 8-of-8 foul shots for his 19 in a team-high 31 minutes. Alan Urrutia entered from the bench and scored 11 for TC; he made just 2-of-8 from the floor but hit a perfect 6-of-6 free throws. D'Marco Smith added 10 points to the cause on 4-of-8 field goals and 2-of-2 from the stripe.
Year at a Glance – This season, Tabor sits second in the league in scoring with their near-90 point average; they net 48.1% from the floor with 37.4% going in from deep and 73.9% from the foul line. The team allows 81.9 each time out, holding their opponents to a KCAC-worst 48.3 percent shooting including 38.2 percent from behind the arc. The Bluejays haul in 38.6 rebounds a game along with 14.4 turnovers, 14.2 assists, 8.7 steals, and 2.2 blocks; they are first in the conference in turnover margin at 3.92.
Carter nets 20.8 points per game with 53.7% going in from the field; he also leads the way in rebounding average at 7.5. The junior tops the team in assists, 77, and turnovers, 48, as well. Smith tallies 13.8 points a night; he has made a team-high 85.1% from the free throw line. Brooks is a close third with his 13.4 average; the senior guard is making 40% from behind the three-point line, 32-of-80. Urrutia is next on the list at 8.3 points per contest.
Tabor heads to Sterling College on December 15th for their last game until January.
