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McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College men's basketball team will travel to Ottawa, Kansas on Saturday to take on the Braves of Ottawa University. Tipoff for the men's JV game is set for 1:00 p.m. (CT) with the varsity men slated for 5:00.
Scouting McPherson
It's been a tough past couple of weeks for the Bulldogs as they have gone 0-5 in 2016. There have been plenty of close calls including their most recent contest, a 66-58 loss to Bethel College
Last Time Out – It was a very low-scoring game on Wednesday night. After trailing for the opening 10 minutes, MC jumped out in front and maintained a slim lead for the rest of the half; the 'Dogs held a 34-30 advantage at the break. In the second, the first several possessions went back and forth but a 16-4 run by the Threshers put them in front 12 with less than five to play. Mac pushed right back and pulled within a couple buckets but never close enough to take the lead. Free throws made by BC in the final minutes gave them the eight-point road win. The Bulldogs connected on 24-of-63 from the floor with 6-of-24 falling from behind the arc; they made 4-of-6 free throws, all coming in the first period.
Chris Crook led the team in scoring with 18 points on 7-of-15 from the floor including 2-of-5 from deep; he made both of his free throws and tallied a team-high eight rebounds as well. Dee Roberts scored 16 for MC, making 7-of-13 from the field; he had another great first half, scoring 10 points off the bench. Ramon Martinez put in 4-of-11 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws for his 10 points; he had six rebounds in the contest.
ALL STATISTICS ARE FROM KCAC GAMES ONLY
Year at a Glance – The 'Dogs score 73.9 points a game while allowing 81.3, both are ninth in the KCAC. The team is putting 43.4% of their field goals through the hoop with 32.7% falling from deep; they are the conference leader in free throw percentage at 77.8%. MC tallies 36.2 rebounds a night along with 10.4 assists, 5.6 steals, and 1.8 blocks.
Crook has had a solid KCAC season, scoring 19.1 points a game while also tabbing 4.6 rebounds; he is the team leader in total field goals (70), free throws (64), and three-point buckets (25). Roberts has scored 151 points for a 15.1 average through his 10 games; he is second on the team in both total field goals and three pointers with 58 and 23, respectively. Martinez nets 11.9 per contest and also logs 5.9 rebounds.
Bulldogs in the National Rankings – The team is sixth in the NAIA D-II in free throw percentage at 76.5%. Crook ranks 15th with his 86.3 free throw percentage.
Mac will host Kansas Wesleyan University on Wednesday the 27th for their next contest; JV is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. and the varsity tip is slated for 8:00 p.m. The mid-week game is Champions Club Appreciation Night so all Champions Club members are encouraged to attend!
Scouting Ottawa
The Braves hold a 11-9 overall record and are 7-5 in the conference; they went 7-3 in the first round of KCAC play. After winning six-straight from mid-December to early-January, the team has lost three in a row with the most recent defeat coming to Oklahoma Wesleyan University 109-97.
Last Time Out – The Eagles jumped out by nine points early but a couple of mini-runs by Ottawa tightened things up by the midway point of the half. The Braves continued to lead for a bit but a push by OKWU gave them a 44-39 lead at the break. Oklahoma Wesleyan kept their advantage throughout the second period and it reached double-digits by the 10-minute mark. After trailing by 17, OU went on a run to get the score gap to just one point with less than two minutes to play. The teams traded baskets for the next several possessions and the 40-minute game ended in a 90-90 tie, forcing overtime. It was all OKWU in overtime as the home team rolled for a 109-97 win. The Braves went 35-of-81 in the contest with 7-of-25 threes; they made 20-of-33 from the foul line. The team tabbed 40 rebounds along with 13 turnovers, nine assists, and six steals.
Presston Oakes led all scorers with 30 points on 11-of-24 shooting with 7-of-10 free throws; he also had nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Marshon Norfleet scored 20 points on 7-of-19 field goals and 5-of-6 foul shots. Pat Jones posted 14 points, making 4-of-9 from the floor with a pair of three balls and a 4-of-7 showing from the stripe. John O'con netted 13 points on 6-of-6 from the field and 1-of-2 from the line; he also had seven boards, second on the team.
ALL STATISTICS ARE FROM KCAC GAMES ONLY
Year at a Glance – OU tabs 77.8 points a night while allowing 78.5. The team is making 42% of their field goals with just 30.5% falling from deep, 10th in the league; they are fifth in the KCAC in free throw percentage at 70.4%. The Braves grab 42.2 rebounds a contest, third in the conference, but have a -2.4 rebounding margin. They record 12.5 assists, 6.7 steals, and 2.6 block each time out.
Oakes is scoring 15.8 points a night and pulls down 7.6 boards, both are team highs. Norfleet is second with his 15.6 per game and leads the way with 21 three-point buckets. O'con also averages over 10 points each time out at 10.6; he is second on the rebounding list with 4.7 a contest. Hollis Mitchell is the second leading three-point shooter for OU as he's made 12 in his 12 KCAC games.
The Braves will travel to Sterling, Kansas for their next contest, set for January 27th against Sterling College.
