Bartlesville, Okla. – The McPherson College men's basketball team had a rough go with Oklahoma Wesleyan University on Thursday. The Bulldogs had a tough time scoring but whenever they'd put a few points on the board, OKWU would respond, killing any momentum Mac may have had. After a long 40 minutes, MC walked out of the gym losing 107-81.
The game's first five minutes were relatively close but a few runs by the Eagles quickly put them ahead by double-digits and then 20+ right before half. The Bulldogs went into the locker room down 52-29. McPherson hit just 9-of-30 from the floor with 7-of-18 from behind the arc; they were 4-of-9 from the charity stripe. OKWU knocked in 20-of-40 with 9-of-21 being three balls; the team struggled from the line, making just 3-of-8.
MC needed a quick start for the second half but sadly it was the Eagles who charged out of the gate, picking up where they left off in the first period. McPherson was having a difficult time hitting shots, especially from three; their first three-point bucket of the second half came at the eight-minute mark and by then the 'Dogs were already down 30. Mostly reservists played the final five minutes and the home team Eagles went on to win 107-81. Mac shot the ball better in the second as 19-of-47 field goals dropped in with 7-of-19 coming from distance; they were 7-of-11 from the stripe. Oklahoma Wesleyan also made 19 shots on 43 attempts; they were 7-of-21 from deep and 10-of-10 from the free throw line.
The Bulldogs made 28-of-77 for the game, 36.4%, with 14-of-37 three-point buckets, 37.8%; they were 11-of-20 from the line. The team tallied 41 rebounds with 12 off the offensive glass to go along with 13 turnovers, 11 assists, five steals and three blocks. 43 points came from bench players while 25 were scored in the paint.
Chris Crook scored a game-high 26 points on 9-of-19 shooting with 5-of-13 threes; he went 3-of-5 from the line and had a pair of assists as well. Chris Lowe scored 16 on 6-of-14 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws. Dee Roberts was the final Bulldog to hit double figures with his 15 points. DeAndre Henson scored four points, had four assists, and four rebounds.
The Bulldogs will get a couple days off before their next competition as they aren't scheduled to play until February 18th when the travel to Sterling College for their final road game of the season; tipoff for JV is set for 4:00 p.m. (CT) with varsity at 8:00.
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
