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McPherson, Kan. – This Saturday the McPherson College women's basketball team will host the University of Saint Mary for Senior Night in the Sport Center; start time is set for 3:00 p.m. (CT). The Bulldogs will recognize six seniors at the game; Megan Acklin, Bailey Brown, Ashton Bruner, Whitney Jefferson, Georgia Smart, and Sunny Smart.
Scouting McPherson
The Bulldogs are 12-17 this season and 9-10 in the league; they currently reside in fifth place in the conference and depending on how Saturday plays out, they could finish as high as fourth or as low as ninth, forcing them to miss the KCAC Postseason Tournament. McPherson had their chance to secure their spot in postseason play this past Thursday night but lost their fourth game of the season by less than three points.
Last Time Out – After starting slow, trailing 12-2, the Lady 'Dogs ended the first period on a bit of a run to push the score to 14-9. The second quarter went back-and-forth but Mac was able to chip away at the lead late and trailed just 30-28 at the break. Coming out of the locker room, MC jumped out in front and then took a 41-40 advantage into the fourth. It was the Bulldogs' game in the final period as they completely shut down the Sterling offense; unfortunately, McPherson wasn't able to hit their shots to put the game to bed, leaving a window open for the Warriors. SC used a pair of big buckets in the closing minutes to take the lead with less than two to play. After jumping back in front, the 'Dogs needed one final stop to claim the game. Sadly, a bucket by Sterling with 1.2 seconds left gave the home team the 53-52 win. MC netted 21-of-49 field goals, 42.9%, with 4-of-10 three balls falling; they only attempted nine free throws in a very physical game, six of their tries dropped in. Mac also had 26 rebounds, 14 below their season average, along with 12 turnovers, nine blocks, eight steals, and seven assists.
Bailey Brown led the 'Dogs in scoring with her 14 on 5-of-11 field goals and 4-of-5 free throws; she also had a team-high four steals. Kristina Battle went 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and 1-of-3 from inside for her 11 points; the freshman had five rebounds. Ashton Bruner totaled 10 points on 5-of-14 shooting; she too had five boards and logged four steals and three blocks. Amanda Allen led the team is rebounding with nine and also had a team-high four swats.
ALL STATISTICS ARE FROM KCAC GAMES ONLY
Year at a Glance – McPherson ranks ninth in scoring offense, 61.8ppg, but are second in scoring defense at 64.2 points a night. The team makes 37.8% from the field with 27.2% finding their way through from behind the arc; they convert on 68.1% from the stripe. The Bulldog D is holding their opponents to just 37.1% shooting from the floor and 26.7% from deep, second and third in the KCAC, respectively. Mac pulls in 39.9 rebounds to go with their 8.9 assists, 7.6 steals, and 3.6 blocks.
Bruner and Brown are both averaging over 15 points a game; the two seniors are first and second on the team in rebounding average as well with Bruner pulling in 8.4 a game and Brown grabbing 5.6. Brown is second on the team in three-point makes with 16 and ranks first in foul shots at 126-of-155. Georgia Smart is third in scoring and rebounding for Mac with her 7.0 points and 4.4 boards each time out. The Bulldogs boast three of the top four shot blockers in the league in Bruner, G Smart and Allen.
Bulldogs in the National Rankings – As a team, the 'Dogs are 20th in total blocks with 108 and are 21st in blocks per game at 3.7. Bruner sits 21st in defensive boards a game at 6.25 and Brown is 24th in free throw percentage with her 82.7 conversion rate.
There are multiple scenarios for what will happen in the postseason to list. Stay connected to McPherson College's social media for updates.
Scouting Saint Mary
The Lady Spires are 12-15 this season and 8-11 in the conference; after losing three-straight KCAC games, USM defeated Oklahoma Wesleyan University on Thursday to keep themselves alive for postseason play.
Last Time Out – Saint Mary took advantage of some very poor shooting by the Lady Eagles. USM jumped out by double-digits and then took a 25-10 lead into the second. They pushed their advantage to 20+ by the midway point of the second quarter but a late run by OKWU moved the halftime score to 45-31. Oklahoma Wesleyan quickly pulled their deficit to 10 but never moved it into single figures as a run by the Spires thwarted any comeback; Saint Mary led 57-45 with one period to play. There was never any doubt that USM was going to take the game in the fourth as they went on to win 80-65. The team shot 43.5% for the game, 27-of-62, with 7-of-15 three-point buckets; they were 19-of-25 from the foul line. The Spires tabbed 49 rebounds along with 16 turnovers, 15 assists, 10 steals, and a pair of blocks in the win.
Imani Dixon scored a game-high 26 points on 7-of-12 field goals, 5-of-8 from three, and 7-of-8 free throws; she had five rebounds and four assists. Andrea McClary scored 16 on 6-of-12 shooting with 4-of-5 foul shots dropping; the forward recorded a double-double with 11 defensive rebounds. Kelsey Switzer netted 5-of-10 field goals and 1-of-3 free throws for her 11 points; she tallied a team-high five assists. Imani White was the final double-digit scorer for USM with her 10 points on 3-of-7 field goals and 4-of-4 free throws.
ALL STATISTICS ARE FROM KCAC GAMES ONLY
Year at a Glance – The Spires tally 62.5 points a game while allowing 66.7; they are ninth in the league with their -4.2 scoring margin. The team shoots in 38.6% from the field and 31.3% from deep, third in the KCAC; they make 68.7% of their free throws. This season they log 37.1 rebounds each time out as well as 10.6 assists, 7.0 steals, and a conference-high 3.6 blocks.
Dixon is scoring 13.0 points a night while making a team-high 28-of-85 three-point buckets; she is also the leader in rebounds at 5.5. Switzer tallies 10.2ppg and sits atop the team in field goal makes with 66. Ashley Hinkle is next on the list at 8.8 points per contest; she is second on three-point makes with 19. White is the leading assister and stealer for USM with 46 and 37, respectively.
