Hillsboro, Kan. – The McPherson College men's basketball team had a rough time putting the ball through the hoop on Thursday as they fell to KCAC leading Tabor College 67-56. The 'Dogs are now 8-17 on the year and 4-9 in the KCAC.
"I thought overall we defended well," said Coach Swartzendruber. "We played hard. Unfortunately, we missed a lot of shots in the paint. We didn't finish as well as we needed to."
It was a slow start for Mac as they failed to convert on multiple point-blank shots within the first five minutes. Tabor stayed ahead by a handful for the entire opening period but their lead never reached double figures. MC headed into the locker room down just 29-20 after a very poor shooting performance. The Bulldogs shot in a mere 27.3% from the floor, 9-of-33, with 1-of-7 three balls dropping through; despite the aggressive play of the 'Jays, McPherson took, and made, just one foul shot in the opening 20 minutes. TC didn't take as many shots but made four more, they were 13-of-29 with 2-of-6 from range.
The second half brought another close 20 minutes of basketball. Tabor led the whole time but the 'Dogs made it interesting as they were never out of it. Even after trailing by 17, Mac was able to pull back within 10 on a number of occasions and even got their deficit back into single digits but by then it was too late at the Bluejays held on for the 67-56 win. McPherson shot the ball much better as they saw 14-of-32 field goals fall; they only took five threes but were able to make three. TC improved their shooting percentage too as 15-of-28 tries found the bottom of the net; they were 3-of-9 from behind the arc and 5-of-10 from the charity stripe.
The Bulldogs ended the game making 23-of-65 from the floor with 4-of-12 threes going through. MC made six of their eight free throws; the eight foul shots taken is a season low. The team pulled down 36 rebounds and was able to grab 11 offensive boards; the 'Dogs also tallied 12 turnovers, 10 assists, eight steals, and five blocks. 32 points of Mac's total came in the paint, 13 were second chance, and 11 came off of turnovers.
DeAndre Henson led the trio of double-digit scorers for the Bulldogs; he hit on 5-of-14 field goals and 2-of-3 free throws for his 13. Darius Hill and TJ Grant each totaled 11. Hill scored on 5-of-17 from the floor and hit his lone foul shot; the senior led the team in rebounds with nine. Grant made four of his 13 shots including half of the team's three-point makes, he was 2-of-5; along with Henson, Grant led MC in assists with three. Senior forward Derek Bevan didn't score in the game but his presence was known on defense as he recorded four rebounds, four blocks, and three steals.
Mac will need to bounce-back quickly as they are slated to take on Sterling College on February 7th for their next outing; the JV will tipoff at 3:00 p.m. (CT) with varsity getting underway at 7:00. It will be Think Pink Night for McPherson so don't forget to don your pink!
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
