LINDSBORG, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) ---
Aaron Bachura (Wilsey, Kan., Council Grove HS) hit a baseline layup with 0.8 seconds to play to give the McPherson College men's basketball team an 87-85 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) victory over archrival Bethany College Monday night at Hahn Gymnasium.
It was a back-and-forth game throughout with the Bulldogs (8-12, 2-10 KCAC) using a 7-0 run midway through the first half to turn a one-point deficit into a six-point lead. The advantage would not hold, though, as an 11-4 run over the course of a span of two minutes, 32 seconds returned the lead to the Swedes (9-11, 6-6 KCAC). An offensive rebound and a putback by
Careino Gurley (Minneapolis, Minn., Rochester CTC) put McPherson ahead 24-23 with 7:28 to play and a
Chris Crook (Oklahoma City, Okla., Millwood HS) 3-pointer 30 seconds later extended the lead to four.
Bethany would not be deterred, however, as a 3-point play by Cody Harris and back-to-back layups by Zach Batman kept it a one-possession game. Bachura hit treys on consecutive trips down the floor to give the visitors a seven-point lead - their largest of the game - as the clock ticked under 3:00. It looked as if momentum was swinging in the hosts' direction, though, as the Swedes went on an 11-3 run sparked by back-to-back threes by Joey Habtermariam to take a 41-40 lead with less than a minute to play, but
Grant Raleigh (Hesston, Kan., Hesston HS) scored just before the end of the half to give McPherson a 42-41 advantage at the break.
The Bulldogs got off to a fast start in the second half, scoring four unanswered points in the first 21 seconds to extend the lead to five. McPherson suddenly went cold from the field at that point, allowing Bethany to capitalize with an 11-2 run. A 3-pointer by
DeAndre Henson (Aberdeen, Md., Cloud County CC) with 14:57 left halted the Bulldog skid. The Swedes were able to hold onto the lead for nearly five additional minutes before Crook connected from behind the arc with 10:12 left to tie the game at 58. Two more Bachura 3-pointers on either side of the 8:00 mark gave McPherson a six-point advantage, but Bethany chipped away and eventually retook the lead at 73-72 on a Harris layup with 5:40 to play. Harris had a pair of chances to extend the lead, but missed both ends of a two-shot foul. Crook took advantage, scoring five straight points to put the Bulldogs ahead by four with 4:32 remaining. McPherson clung to the lead for the next four minutes before Khalid Washington tied the game at 85 with a pair of free throws with 31.6 seconds to play.
Despite being able to hold for a likely final shot, Bachura fired off an early 3-pointer only to see the carom hauled in by Harris. At the other end, Washington was not able to connect on a layup and McPherson's Ryan O'Hara picked up the loose ball. O'Hara quickly found Henson near mid-court. He dodged one Bethany defender on the run out before passing to Bachura at the elbow of the 3-point arc. Bachura drove to the basket, cutting along the baseline for the game-winning layup with 0.8 seconds remaining. The Swedes had one last opportunity, but the long inbounds pass was swatted away by Henson in the Bethany end to seal the victory.
Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field in the first half - Bethany at 54.8 percent (17-of-31), McPherson at 51.7 percent (15-of-29) - but fell off slightly in the second half. The Bulldogs were just 14-of-32 in the final 20 minutes to finish at 47.5 percent (29-of-61), while the Swedes were 15-of-30 to come in at 52.5 percent (32-of-61) overall. McPherson was 13-of-27 (48.1 percent) behind the arc with Bethany hitting 8 of 21 (38.1 percent) from 3-point range. The Bulldogs held an edge at the charity stripe, making 16 of 23 attempts (69.6 percent). The Swedes were just 13-of-22 (59.1 percent).
Bachura and Crook each finished with a game-high 22 points. Bachura was 8-of-17 from the field and 6-of-12 from 3-point range. Crook shot 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 both behind the arc and at the line. he also had two rebounds and two assists off the bench. Raleigh ended up with 18 points, accounting for just three on three free throws in the final 20 minutes after opening with 15 on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half. He also had five rebounds and four assists. Henson added 12 points, four rebounds and an assist.
Crook, who now has 1,135 career points, also passed Robb Collins (1,122) and Wayne Blickenstaff (1,121) to move into 16th place on McPherson's all-time scoring chart. Immediately ahead of Crook are Antonio Ford (1,141) in 15th place and Bill Smith (1,153) in 14th place.
Harris led five Swedes in double figures with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting off the bench. He also added 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. Habtermariam matched Harris' point total on 7-of-14 shooting with four 3-pointers, three assists, two boards, one block and one steal. Ian Merzwinski had 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and seven rebounds before fouling out late. Washington added 11 points, primarily due to his 7-of-11 shooting at the free throw line, while Jalen Thompson had 10 points.
"It feels great to get a win," said head coach
Tim Swartzendruber. "Our guys have continued to work hard and believe. I couldn't be more proud of a team. Bethany is very talented."
The Bulldogs will have little time to celebrate the victory, though, as Monday's game was the first of three games in a six-day stretch. McPherson welcomes another rival -- Kansas Wesleyan University -- to the Sport Center for an 8 p.m. tipoff. The week concludes Saturday afternoon with a trek to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to face Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m.
