SALINA, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) ---
Victoria Gonzalez (Keller, Texas, Keller HS) scored a game-high 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting to lead the McPherson College women's basketball team to a 66-50 win over Dakota State University Friday afternoon on the second day of the RibCrib Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Classic at Mabee Arena.
McPherson (8-8), which snapped a six-game losing streak, sprinted out to an 11-0 lead, capped off when
Cami Richardson (Hesston, Kan., Hesston HS) found a cutting Gonzalez on an inbounds play beneath the basket.
Dakota State (3-12) finally got on the board on a 3-pointer by Cassie Jones at the 2:55 mark of the first quarter, but
Brittni Harlow (Lincoln, Kan., Lincoln HS) responded with a pair of free throws to take the lead back to double-digits. The teams traded baskets the next two trips down the court and the Trojans added one more hoop before the end of the quarter to give McPherson a 15-7 lead after the first 10 minutes.
Both teams struggled out of the gate in the second quarter with only a basket by McPherson's
Danielle Holt (Glenpool, Okla., Glenpool HS) falling in the first three minutes.
Brooke Racette (Hutchinson, Kan., Trinity Catholic HS) added a 3-pointer to push the Bulldog advantage to 20-7. Dakota State responded with a hoop by Breanna Olson, but McPherson was able to counter with a pair of free throws by
Emma Van Donselaar (Shawnee, Kan., Shawnee Mission West HS) to keep the lead at 13 as the clock ticked past the 4:00 mark.
The Bulldogs followed with another Gonzalez 3-pointer and a transition hoop by Van Donselaar before Shemeka Frazier hit a 15-foot jumper from the wing to put the Trojans into double figures with 2:30 to play in the half. McPherson scored seven of the final 11 points of the half to take a 34-15 advantage into the break.
Dakota State scored the first eight points of the second half as part of a 14-4 run, cutting the McPherson advantage to nine midway through the quarter. The Bulldogs responded with four straight on a pair of Van Donselaar free throws and a
Kristina Battle (Houston, Texas, Austin HS) layup to push the lead back to 13. After trading baskets down the stretch,
Brooklyn Coe (Corvallis, Ore., Chemeketa CC) hit a runner in the lane as time expired in the quarter to give McPherson a 48-35 edge headed to the final quarter. The Bulldogs struggled with fouls in the third frame, committing five quick fouls to put the Trojans into the double bonus with 4:58 to play.
After a Jamie Tebben 3-pointer cut the lead to 10 points with 7:21 remaining, the Bulldogs finished the game on a 13-7 run behind nine points from Gonzalez.
McPherson shot 44.4 percent from both the field (12-of-27) and behind the arc (4-of-9) in the first half and hit six of eight free throw attempts. Dakota State struggled to 24.1 percent (7-of-29) shooting from the field and made just one of 13 attempts from 3-point range. The Bulldogs fell off slightly in the second half, finishing the game at 42.4 percent (25-of-59) from the field. The Trojans seemed to find their touch in the second half, getting better shots to raise their shooting percentage to 32.7 percent (18-of-55) for the game. They also limited their attempts from 3-point range, going just 1-of-6.
Gonzalez, who also had a pair of 3-pointers with her game-high 16 points, also pulled down a team-high-tying five rebounds. Coe added 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while Van Donselaar had 10. One day after leading the team with 17 points, Richardson chipped in with seven points, four rebounds and three assists. Racette added three points, five rebounds and four assists.
Olson led Dakota State with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double. Britley Plautz added eight points and six rebounds, while Frazier had eight points and Tebben posted seven points and nine rebounds. Kennedy Wagner chipped in with five points, three rebounds and a team-high four assists.
The Bulldogs dominated in points in the paint, tallying 36 to the Trojans' 18. McPherson also had a 34-20 edge in bench scoring and a 17-8 lead in points off turnovers in the contest.
McPherson returns to Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) play on Thursday, Jan. 5 with a trip to league newcomer York College. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m.
