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McPherson, Kan. – It's KCAC Tournament time for the McPherson College women's basketball team and the fifth ranked Lady 'Dogs will travel to No. 4 Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas for the 7:00 p.m. (CT) quarterfinal game.
Scouting McPherson
The Bulldogs are 13-17 on the year and hold an even 10-10 record in the KCAC. Heading into last week, MC had a chance at finishing the regular conference season as high as third place or as low as ninth. The one-point loss to Sterling eliminated the opportunity at the No. 3 slot and with how things panned out between Southwestern and Oklahoma Wesleyan, 10-point Eagle win, the 'Dogs slid down to the fifth seed for the postseason tourney.
Last Time Out – It wasn't exactly a win or go home game for McPherson this past Saturday against the University of Saint Mary but it was the difference between the No. 5 and the No. 8 seed. The Bulldogs got down early but ended the first quarter on a 14-6 run to tie it up at 18-18. In the second, Mac stayed out in front throughout and held a 34-30 halftime advantage. There were multiple lead changes and ties in the third period which ended at a 52-52 tie. The fourth quarter was very similar to the second in that McPherson jumped in front and kept at least a two-point lead throughout; the 'Dogs made their foul shots late to preserve their cushion and went on to win 71-67. MC dropped in 21-of-56 field goals for the game with 5-of-17 threes finding their way in; they counted 80% of their free throws, 24-of-30. The team logged 37 rebounds along with 10 assists, nine steals, nine turnovers, and four blocks.
Ashton Bruner connected on 50% from the floor, 8-of-16, and made 5-of-8 free throws for a team-high 21 points; she had seven rebounds as well. Bailey Brown put 4-of-9 field goals and a perfect 8-of-8 free throws in for her 16 points; she grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in nearly 38 minutes of playing time. Sunny Smart cashed in on 2-of-5 threes and 1-of-3 twos for her 10 points; she had four boards. Amanda Allen also made it into double-digits with 10 points on 2-of-8 shooting and 5-of-6 free throws; the freshman had six rebounds and all four of Mac's blocks.
ALL STATISTICS ARE FROM KCAC GAMES ONLY
Year at a Glance – The Bulldogs are eighth in scoring offense at 62.3 points a game but sit third in scoring defense, allowing just 64.4 points for the year. They net 37.7% of their field goals with just 27.3% dropping from range; they convert 68.8% from the charity stripe. The team is fourth in defensive field goal percentage, 37.2% and are second in defensive three-point percentage at just 26.8%. Mac pulls in 39.8 boards a game as well as tallying 9.0 assists, 7.7 steals, and 3.6 blocks which is first in the league.
Bruner has scored 16.2 points through her 20 conference games; she is making 45.7% from the field and tops the 'Dogs in rebounds with an 8.4 average. Brown is second on the scoring list at 15.7ppg; she has drained a team-high 134-of-163 free throws. Georgia Smart puts 6.6 points on the board every time out and also tabs 4.3 boards. Allen, S. Smart, and Kristina Battle all average in the five-point range scoring this season.
Bulldogs in the National Rankings – McPherson is 18th in total blocks, 112, and is 22nd in blocks per game at 3.73. Brown ranks 18th in free throw percentage at 83.3% while Bruner sits 23rd in defensive boards a night with 6.172.
The winner of the MC vs SWC game will take on the victor of the No. 1 Tabor College vs. No. 8 Kansas Wesleyan University contest.
Scouting Southwestern
The Moundbuilders have had a very strong showing in the second round of conference play, going 7-3 which helped move them up to the No. 4 ranking; they are 11-9 overall in conference and 13-17 for the year. After losing to McPherson for the second time of the year back in mid-January, the Builders went on a five-game winning streak before ending the year with a loss, two wins, and a loss this past Saturday to OKWU.
Last Time Out – The three-point happy Eagles were hitting in the first quarter against SWC, pushing the score to 23-10 heading into the second. Both teams put up minimal points in the period and the halftime score rested at 37-26 in favor of OKWU. On Senior Night, the Moundbuilders came out in the third with a little fire and pulled things close; they pushed the score to 49-47 at the end of the quarter. In the fourth, Oklahoma opened up with a 13-3 run to give them a nice 12-point cushion. Southwestern got as close as four in the closing minutes but made foul shots by the visiting Eagles gave them a 71-61 win. The Builders went just 19-of-72 in the game with a mere 2-of-25 three-point shots falling; they were 21-of-28 from the line. The team logged 56 rebounds as well as 12 turnovers, 10 assists, four steals, and a block.
Jana Reichenberger led the scoring for SWC with her 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting and 3-of-3 free throws; she also had a team-high 14 rebounds and the lone block. Catherine Cranmer was just 3-of-8 from the field but made 6-of-7 free throws for her 12 points. Jordyn Miller also had a rough time shooting, netting 3-of-12 from the floor and all four of her foul shots for 11 points; the forward had nine boards, all defensive.
ALL STATISTICS ARE FROM KCAC GAMES ONLY
Year at a Glance – Southwestern is scoring 65.2 points each time out while giving up 66.0; they are sixth in both categories as well as in scoring margin at -0.8. The team makes a league second-best 41.1% from the floor with 30% going through from deep; they are fourth in free throw percentage at 70.1%. The Moundbuilders lead the conference in rebounding with 42.8 boards a night and have a 9.5 rebounding margin; they tally 12.5 assists, 5.5 steals, and 2.9 blocks a game.
Miller is putting 15.3 points on the board in her 18 KCAC games; the sophomore makes nearly 50% from the floor and also logs 6.3 boards a night. Reichenberger scores 12.2 per contest and is the top rebounder for SWC with her 8.8 average. Taylor Bleumer also logs a 10-point average at 10.7; she tabs 5.3 boards a game. Kayla Demel is the top three-point shooter for the Builders, making 28-of-91 on the year.
