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McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College men's basketball squad will honor four seniors on Red Out Night this Saturday, February 21 when they play host to the University of Saint Mary; start time is slated for 5:00 p.m. (CT) There will also be the presentation of the Pat Noyes Scholarship prior to the contest.
Following a big win last weekend at Southwestern, the Bulldogs could not keep pace with Friends on Thursday and are still one-win away from double-digit wins on the season. The 'Dogs, who sit at 9-20, are guaranteed the No. 8 seed in the upcoming conference tournament with their record of 5-12. The top seed is also set regardless of what happens on Saturday. This is not a pointless game for MC as they need to gain some momentum heading into the postseason.
MC in the NAIA – TJ Grant maintained his third-place ranking in assist/turnover ratio at 3.452; he is 12th in total assists with 145 and 19th in assists per game at 5.0. Darius Hill sits eighth in total rebounds and is 10th in rebounds a game with 263 and 9.3, respectively.
All statistics are from KCAC games only
The Bulldogs are scoring 72.2 points a night which is eighth in the league; they make 41.2% from the field and watch 34.2% of their threes find the bottom of the net. The team is allowing 75.5 points, fifth in the KCAC; their defensive field goal percentage sits at 48.1% which is a league-low. Mac is grabbing 35.1 rebounds each night, ninth in the conference. They also net 13.3 assists, 5.5 steals, and 2.2 blocks each time out. Their turnover margin of 2.0 is third in the KCAC, as is their assist/turnover ratio of 1.28.
Hill has scored 286 points in his 16 conference games for a team-high 17.9 average; Hill sat out last time the 'Dogs faced USM. The senior has made a team-high 116 field goals and also tops the team in rebounds with 9.7 boards per game. Grant averages 14.5 each time out; he has dropped in 31 three balls and 70 free throws while leading the team in assists with 89. DeAndre Henson scores 11.6 a night and has made a team leading 33 three-point buckets. Chris Crook averages 9.3 points each game and is hitting 33.8% from behind the arc.
MC in the KCAC – Hill moved down to seventh in the league in scoring average but is still fourth in field goal percentage; he also maintained both his rebounding and double-double first place rankings. Grant sits sixth in three-point percentage at 38.3% and is second in free throw percentage at 87.5%; he is the conference's top assist man with 89 total dimes and his assist to turnover ratio of 3.87 leads the way.
McPherson will take on Tabor College in the opening round of the 2014-15 KCAC Men's Basketball Postseason Tournament; tipoff is set for February 25th at 7:00 p.m.
Scouting Saint Mary
The Spires have had a solid overall season and have been very good as of late; they have posted an 11-3 record in 2015 and are winners of their last four games. The squad's only loss in the second-round of KCAC play was a two-point defeat to Sterling College.
USM in the NAIA – The Spires are led by the Nation's leading scorer in Grant Greenberg who averages 29.357 points a night and has scored 822 total points this year, topping both the NAIA D-I and D-II; he is third in free throw percentage at 88.9% and ranks 20th in field goal percentage at 57.0%. Jordan Thomas is fourth in the NAIA in three-point field goals at 93 and is eighth in threes made a game with 3.3. As a team, Saint Mary sits 11th in total scoring offense and is 12th in offense per game at 84.4; they also rank 14th in total assists with 460 and 15th in turnover margin at 3.2.
All statistics are from KCAC games only
The Spires lead the conference in scoring with their 83.2 average; they are making 45.2% from the field with just 30.4% dropping from range. The team is atop the KCAC in free throw percentage at 73.6%. Defensively, USM allows 75.7 points each time up while surrendering 43.6% from the floor and 31.2% from behind the arc. They pull in 39.1 rebounds a contest and top the conference in rebounding margin at 3.9. Saint Mary racks up 16.3 assists a game along with 6.7 steals and 2.8 blocks.
Greenberg holds a 30.3 average in KCAC contests and has made 174 field goals along with 137 free throws; he grabs 6.5 boards a night and also has 42 assists and 19 steals. Thomas has cashed in on 50 three balls and nets 15.4 points a game. Forrest Hicks is next on the list with his 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds. Marcus Mondaine tops the Spires in rebounding average at 8.5 boards each night.
USM in the KCAC – Greenberg obviously leads the league in scoring with his 515 points; he is second in field goal percentage at 55.9% and is first in both three point percentage and free throw percentage at 45.5% and 90.7%, respectively. Thomas is third in threes made a game at 2.94. Xavier Young sits third in total steals with 25. Mondaine is third in rebound with 145.
USM has solidified themselves in the No. 2 position for the upcoming tournament and will face either Sterling, Ottawa, or Southwestern in the opening round.
