McPHERSON, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College women's basketball team held York College without a field goal for a stretch of nearly 15 minutes, including the entire third quarter, en route to a 68-47 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) victory Tuesday evening at the Sport Center.
The Bulldogs (9-4, 5-3 KCAC) jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead after just two minutes, but the Panthers (4-10, 1-7 KCAC) rallied for nine of the next 13 to cut the deficit to just one with 3:04 to play.
Sonerka White (Houston, Texas, Eisenhower HS) completed a 3-point play on McPherson's next trip down the court to extend the lead back to four. After a layup by Ciara Williams,
Brooke Zimmerman (Aurora, Colo., Western Nebraska CC) put back her own miss to give the Bulldogs a 15-11 lead after one quarter.
McPherson blew the game wide open in the second and third quarters, outscoring York, 42-21. The Bulldogs opened the second quarter on a 7-0 run, eventually building the lead to 14 points at 34-20 on a White 3-pointer with 3:38 to play in the half. The Panthers scored six points down the stretch with McPherson countering with just a
Cami Richardson (Hesston, Kan., Hesston HS) 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 37-26 halftime lead.
The Panthers struggled against McPherson's press defense in the third quarter, going 0-for-9 from the field and committing 11 turnovers while being limited to just six points behind a 6-of-8 performance at the line. By contrast, McPherson exploded for 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting to take a 57-32 lead into the final quarter.
White pushed the lead to a game-high 27 points with a fastbreak layup less than a minute into the fourth frame, but York rallied for eight straight points over the next three minutes to cut the lead back to 19 before White stopped the run with her second 3-pointer of the game with 6:03 to play. The Panthers outscored the Bulldogs, 7-6, down the stretch to set the final margin at 21 points.
White finished with a game-high 25 points on 11-of-20 shooting, while Richardson added 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Brooklyn Coe (Corvallis, Ore., Chemeketa CC) added 11 points of 4-of-6 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers and
Danielle Holt (Glenpool, Okla., Glenpool HS) just missed a double-double with eight points, 10 rebounds, five steals and two assists.
The Bulldogs were 27-of-62 (43.5 percent) from the field overall but made just five of 18 3-pointers. They finished with a 34-15 edge in points of turnovers and a 44-22 advantage in points in the paint.
Both teams finished with 36 rebounds, but McPherson emerged with a 13-9 edge on the offensive glass.
The Panthers struggled from the field (15-of-45) and behind the arc (1-of-12) but kept their composure at the line where they were 16-of-21. Ve'a Gauta led York with 14 points, six rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks. Ashley Rendon added nine points and Williams had seven.
McPherson will practice through the weekend, then break for the holidays. The Bulldogs' next game comes Friday, Dec. 29, against University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma at the Rib Crib Coyote Classic hosted by Kansas Wesleyan University. Tipoff from Mabee Arena in Salina is slated for 2 p.m.
