Wichita, Kan. – The McPherson College men's basketball team went up against a very hot-shooting Friends University team on Saturday night. The Bulldogs had a strong second half but it wasn't enough as they fell 80-70 in Wichita.
McPherson scored the game's first basket and held the lead for the first several minutes but a run by the Falcons gave them a slight edge before the 10-minute mark. Friends pushed their advantage to 10 which is where it hovered for the rest of the period. At the break, the Bulldogs were in a 12-point hole, 36-24. Mac shot in 9-of-25 in the game's first 20 minutes with 3-of-12 dropping from range; they made 3-of-5 free throws. FU netted 13-of-24 with 5-of-10 from behind the arc; they struggled from the stripe, watching just 5-of-9 fall through.
The 'Dogs quickly saw themselves down 16 and their deficit reached 20 before the midway point of the half. After trailing by 20, Mac used a 10-0 run to get them back into the game; they pulled within eight a few possessions later. The Falcons were not about to be undone on their home court and pushed their lead back to 14 with five minutes to play. McPherson tried to claw back in but FU hit their free throws late to hold on for the 80-70 win. The Bulldogs made 16-of-36 second half field goals with 5-of-14 going in from distance; they hit 9-of-15 free throws. Friends continued to knock down their shots, converting on 14-of-24 from the floor with 6-of-12 from range; they went 10-of-15 from the line.
McPherson closed out the night with a 41.0 shooting percentage as 25-of-61 field goals fell through the net; they were 8-of-26 from deep and 12-of-20 from the line, 60% which is nearly 15% below their season average. The team had 39 rebounds with 16 coming off the offensive glass; they also tallied 16 turnovers, five steals, five assists, and three blocks. 38 of their total points came from bench players and 32 points were scored in the paint.
Chris Crook scored 16 to lead MC; he was 5-of-13 from the floor but just 4-of-7 from the line. Dee Roberts totaled 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting with 3-of-3 free throws dropping. DeAndre Henson went 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-7 from the line for his 12 points. Ryan O'Hara returned to the lineup and snagged a team-high 10 rebounds to go along with his four points. Louis Parker III had a near-perfect day, making 4-of-5 field goals and 1-of-1 free throws for nine points.
Mac will host their inter-county rival Bethany College this Thursday, February 4; the JV game is set to tip at 4:00 p.m. (CT) with the varsity men slated for an 8:00 p.m. start. It's Pink Out Night in the Sport Center so don't forget your pink gear.
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
