McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College women's basketball team held Bethany College to a 25.0% field goal percentage on Thursday night in the inter-county rivalry game. The Lady Bulldogs used a strong second half to take the 54-39 victory, moving them to 11-15 for the year and 8-8 in the KCAC.
The first quarter was very low scoring as a mere 16 points were tallied by the two teams combined. Unfortunately for Mac, they only put 2-of-13 through the net and trailed 12-4 after one; the team tallied five turnovers in the period. The Bulldogs upped their scoring and their defense in the second, tightening the game and then taking the lead as they went on a 9-0 run to end the first half up 20-18. MC dropped in 8-of-27 field goals in the opening 20 minutes with 2-of-8 falling in from range; they hit both of their free throws. Bethany made 7-of-14 from inside the three-point arc but were 0-of-9 from behind it; the team converted 4-of-6 foul shots.
McPherson kept their run going in the second half and pushed their advantage to eight with just over five minutes left in the third; the 'Dogs held a nine-point lead with one period to play, 34-25. A quick bucket by Mac put them ahead double-digits and from then on, the Bulldogs' lead was never in question. MC knocked down their free throws throughout the entire quarter and held the Swedes to just 3-of-11 from the field for the final period; the 'Dogs went on to win 54-39. McPherson put 9-of-28 through in the second half and made 1-of-5 from deep; they drained a very impressive 15-of-16 free throws. BC went 6-of-27 and missed all six of their three-point tries, they were 0-of-16 for the game from deep; the Swedes struggled from the stripe, making just 9-of-18.
The Bulldogs ended the game shooting in 17-of-55 with 3-of-13 coming from range; they made 94.4% from the foul line, 17-of-18. The team pulled in 45 rebounds including 14 of the offensive glass; Mac also logged 11 turnovers, nine assists, five blocks and four steals. 35 of their total points were scored in the paint and 16 came from their bench players.
Bailey Brown made 4-of-12 field goals and 10-of-10 free throws to score a game-high 20 points; she also had nine rebounds in her team leading 38+ minutes of action. Ashton Bruner scored 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting with 4-of-4 free throws; she recorded nine rebounds. Brooke Racette scored six points and had seven rebounds in her first game as a starter this season.
Mac will host KCAC No. 1 Tabor College on Saturday with the JV game set for a 1:00 p.m. (CT) start and the varsity tip slated for 5:00. Following their game McPherson College will reveal the winning design of the 'Design the Bulldog' contest. All Bulldog fans in attendance will get a free t-shirt showcasing the new Bulldog logo.
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
