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McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College men's basketball team will begin their second round of conference play on Saturday evening as they host Southwestern College. Game time for the January 16th contest is set for 5:00 p.m. (CT) in the Sport Center.
Scouting McPherson
The Bulldogs are 6-14 overall and posted a 2-8 record in their first round of league action; the wins came against Bethel College back in November and then Oklahoma Wesleyan in the final KCAC game before the holiday break. McPherson is currently in a three-game skid following their 85-74 loss at Saint Mary this past Thursday.
Last Time Out – The 'Dogs started the game on a bit of a streak and quickly took a lead which was increased to double-digits midway through the opening period. Their advantage peaked at 10 but a 10-0 run by the Spires tied the game up just three minutes later. It was a back-and-forth battle to end the half and Mac was able to take a one-point lead into the break. The second period started just fine for McPherson as they increased their advantage to seven but an 11-point run by USM put the Spires up four before the 13-minute mark. Another mini-run by Saint Mary increased their lead to double-digits which is where it remained for nearly all of the final 10 minutes, leading to the 85-74 win for USM. The Bulldogs shot in 26-of-60 field goals for a respectable 43.3 shooting percentage; they made 11-of-24 threes and 11-of-16 free throws in the loss. The team struggled to pull down rebounds, logging just 29 while giving up 22 offensive boards to the Spires. Mac also tallied 14 turnovers, 12 assists, four blocks and three steals.
Ramon Martinez led the game in scoring with his 21 points on 6-of-12 field goals and 8-of-11 free throws; he also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Chris Crook put in 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting with 3-of-5 foul shots. Kyle Lakin had a solid game for MC, aside from guarding USM's leading scorer, the senior made 4-of-6 field goals with three from behind the arc for his 11 points.
STATISTICS ARE FROM KCAC GAMES ONLY
Year at a Glance – McPherson averages 75.5 points a night while giving up 82.1 through their 10 league games. They are ninth in the KCAC in field goal percentage at 41.3% but lead the way from the free throw line at 77.3%. The 'Dogs tally 37.1 rebounds a night and their rebounding margin of -6.0 is last in the conference. The team also tallies 10.6 assists, 5.6 steals, and 2.1 blocked shots a game.
Crook is scoring 18.6 points with a team-high 56 field goals, 22 three-point and 52 free throw makes; he also nets 4.0 rebounds each time out. Dee Roberts is totaling 15.3 points per game and is second on the team in three-point buckets. Martinez has upped his scoring average to 13.1 and is second on the list in rebounding at 6.3 per contest.
Bulldogs in the National Rankings – MC is eighth in the NAIA D-II in free throw percentage at 76.1% through their 20 games. Crook ranks 23rd in the Nation with his 85.6 free throw percentage.
MC will take on Bethel College in one of two Wednesday night games on January 20th at 8:00 p.m. (CT) in the Sport Center; the JV men will tipoff at 4:00.
Scouting Southwestern
The Moundbuilders have had a pretty solid season after being picked fifth in the preseason polls. The team has a 12-1 non-conference record and are 7-3 against the KCAC with losses coming to Bethel College, Ottawa University, and Tabor College. The second place Builders most recently took it to Oklahoma Wesleyan University 77-58 on Thursday night.
Last Time Out – SWC roared out from the gate, quickly taking a seven-point lead by the five minute mark. Southwestern's advantage peaked at 18 and the Moundbuilders coasted to a 41-26 halftime lead. After letting their deficit reach 20+, OKWU put together a few buckets and pulled it to 11 with 14 minutes left on the clock. SWC went back up by 16 but another run by Oklahoma Wesleyan got the score gap back to nine with seven to go. The Builders were tough down the stretch and held on for the near 20-point win. Southwestern shot 48.3% for the game, 29-of-60 from the field and 6-of-16 from deep; they netted 13-of-18 free throws as well. The team logged 38 rebounds, 17 turnovers, 15 assists, 11 steals, and a pair of blocks.
Cameron Clark scored his traditional 20+ points, making 6-of-21 field goals and 9-of-10 free throws for 24 points; he also grabbed nine rebounds and had four assists as well. Lennell Monreo went a perfect 9-of-9 from the floor and 1-of-2 from the line for 19 points; the forward also pulled in 10 rebounds for the game's lone double-double. Chris Waller made 5-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the line for 12 points; he had a team-high five assists. Cameron Hunt also hit double figures with 3-of-5 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws falling for 10 points.
STATISTICS ARE FROM KCAC GAMES ONLY
Year at a Glance – Southwestern is scoring 79.3 points a night in KCAC play, a bit different from their 90.8ppg on the year, which is fifth in the league; they allow a second best 71.9 points for a conference leading 7.4 scoring margin. The team hits in a KCAC-high 48.6% from the floor but make just 31.9% from deep and 64.2% from the line which are both in the bottom third. The Builders pull down 41.8 rebounds and have a league leading 5.6 rebounding margin. They also record 11.6 assists, 4.2 steals, and 3.8 blocks each night.
Clark, who ranks in the top-10 of the NAIA in four categories, is scoring 22.6 points a game and leads the team in three-point buckets with 26-of-65; he is the top rebounder as well with his 8.7 average. Waller is a close second in both categories as he tallies 20.9 points and 7.9 boards through their 10 conference games. Monroe is next on both lists at 9.1 points and 6.6 rebounds.
Southwestern will host Sterling College next Wednesday for their next contest.
