Box Score HAYS, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College men's basketball team closed out the 2017 calendar year with an 87-62 exhibition loss to Fort Hays State University Saturday afternoon at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
The Tigers (10-3) jumped out to a 16-4 lead after just four minutes and continued to build their advantage throughout the half. The lead topped out at 32 points in the final seconds of the frame before a
Grant Raleigh (Hesston, Kan., Hesston HS) layup sent the teams to the locker rooms with FHSU leading 55-25.
Fort Hays scored six of the first eight points of the second half to push the lead to 34 with 17:32 remaining, but McPherson rallied with a 13-2 run behind five points each from
Garrett Owen (Woodward, Okla., Woodward HS) and
Aaron Bachura (Wilsey, Kan., Council Grove HS) to cut the defict to 23 points (63-40) at the 11:59 mark.
The Tigers scored 11 of the next 13 points to push the lead back to 32 points. The Bulldogs were able to close the game on a positive note, though, finishing the game on an 11-5 run behind a pair of free throws by
Chamaje Barideaux (New Iberia, La., New Iberia Senior HS) and 3-pointers from
Jeffrey Oxford (Claremore, Okla., Claremore HS),
Justin Wiltfong (Stockton, Kan., Stockton HS) and
Parkes Wolters (Osborne, Kan., Osborne HS).
The Bulldogs struggled from the field in the first half, shooting just 26.7 percent (8-of-30), but rebounded to shoot 43.8 percent (14-of-32) from the field in the second half. McPherson also hit 10 3-pointers, including seven in the final 20 minutes.
Bachura led the Bulldogs with 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting. He also had six rebounds. Owen chipped in with 10 points and team-highs in rebounds (7), assists (6), and steals (3).
Frederick Watts (Houston, Texas, Channelview HS), Oxford and Wolters added six points apiece.
Fort Hays State shot 54.1 percent (33-of-61) from the field overall, including 66.7 percent (20-of-30) in the first half. The Tigers also hit 11 3-pointers and were 10-of-14 from the line.
Brady Werth led the Tigers with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while Hadley Gillum had 17 points, six rebounds and five assists. Trey O'Neal and Marcus Cooper chipped in with 11 points apiece and Aaron Nicholson added nine.
"Fort Hays is very good," said head coach
Tim Swartzendruber. "I thought we played scared in the first half and weren't aggressive. We stepped it up in the second half, though. We need to continue to improve defensively and be ready for Kansas Wesleyan on Wednesday."
With their entire nonconference schedule now in the rear-view mirror, the Bulldogs (3-13) will dive headlong into Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) play. First up is a date with rival Kansas Wesleyan University on Wednesday evening in Salina. Tipoff from Mabee Arena is slated for 8 p.m.
