Ottawa, Kan. – The Lady Bulldogs were just a couple plays away late in the game from overtaking the Ottawa University Braves on Thursday night; but alas, OU came out victorious 70-61. McPherson is still ninth in the KCAC with three league games to play.
Mac got off to a rough start but quickly regained their composure and stayed within a bucket or two of Ottawa. The Lady 'Dogs never held the lead in large part due to their turnovers, they had 17 in the opening 20 minutes. After seeing the score tied at 25-25 with just over three minutes remaining, OU went on a 10-2 run to finish out the half and headed into the locker room up 35-27. MC bucketed an impressive 58.8% from the floor, 10-of-17, and dropped in 3-of-4 from deep while the Braves counted 14-of-30 field goals with four coming from distance.
McPherson again struggled to start the period but never let Ottawa out of their sights. MC went on a mini-run midway through the half and were able to get as close as four with four minutes to go. A pair of missed three balls all but ruined the Bulldogs' chances of climbing back in and OU hit on just enough from the stripe to hold on for the 70-61 victory. Mac's shooting percentage dropped in the second, largely due to forced shots late in the game; they made 13-of-34 in the final 20 minutes with just 3-of-13 falling from the arc. Ottawa dropped in 9-of-24 from the floor with 3-of-5 threes finding the bottom of the net; they were 14-of-21 from the line.
The 'Dogs ended the night making 23-of-51 for a solid 45.1%, they were above 50% with four minutes to play; they missed their final eight shots. The team counted 6-of-17 from deep and was able to make 9-of-10 free throws; OU attempted 28 foul shots in the game. McPherson won the rebounding battle 40-to-27 and pulled in 12 offensive boards. They also tallied 26 turnovers, 19 assists, eight steals, and three blocks.
Sunny Smart led all scoring with her 27, one-point shy of her career best; she was 10-of-17 from the field with five from deep and also hit both her free throws. The junior grabbed four rebounds and had a pair of assists as well. Alicia Demaret scored 12 for Mac on 6-of-10 shooting; she also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Bailey Brown added 11 points to the cause on just 2-of-7 field goals but a standard 7-of-7 from the charity stripe.
MC heads to Winfield, Kansas on Valentine's Day for their next contest; the Lady 'Dogs will square off against the Moundbuilders at 5:00 p.m. (CT)
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
