Ottawa, Kan. – For thirty minutes of Wednesday's opening game of 2019, the McPherson College men's basketball team was clicking on all cylinders, on the road against the Ottawa University Braves. The Bulldogs led the Braves by 20 points with just over 10 minutes to play, but then things began to unravel.
The Bulldogs were coming off an exhibition loss on Sunday to the Fort Hays State University Tigers, their first game after over a week off for the Christmas holiday. The Bulldog coaching staff scheduled the game with the NCAA DII Tigers to give the their team some live competition after the extended break in the hopes that it would serve them well as they headed into the second half of the conference season, beginning in January.
For the Ottawa Braves, Wednesday's game at home was their first since before the holiday break, and in the as the game unfolded, it appeared that the Bulldogs' strategy of playing the exhibition game prior to resuming the regular season, was paying off. They jumped out to a quick lead over the home team, and at the end of the opening half, they held an eight point lead, 37-29.
In the second half, the Bulldogs picked up where they left off, and quickly built a double digit lead over the Braves in the early going. By the midway point of the final half, they had extended the lead out to 20 points, 64-44, and looked like they were in complete control. There was a lot of time left on the clock however, and the Brave began to chip away at the Bulldog lead. With 7:12 remaining in the game, the lead Bulldog lead had been trimmed down to single digits 69-60. The lead hovered at nine points for the next two and a half minutes, but back to back to back three pointers by the Braves cut tied the game at 78 with 3:45 left on the clock.
The Bulldogs recaptured the lead on the next possession, but then the Braves tied the game again on their next trip down the floor. With 2:33 remaining in regulation, the Braves took the lead for the first time since the 4:36 mark in the first half. This time once they got the lead back, they didn't relinquish it. As time ran out, the Braves had turned a 20 point deficit into a 9 point victory, 93-84.
Turnovers and second chance opportunities were the "Achilles Heel" for the Bulldogs on Wednesday. They coughed up the ball 16 times against the Braves, which they in turn transformed into 16 points. The Mac guys also lost the rebounding battle 48 to 33, and of the 48 rebounds the Braves grabbed, 20 of them were of the offensive variety, which lead to 25 second chance points.
Chamaje Barideaux (So. New Iberia, La.), had another huge night for the Bulldogs in the loss. Barideaux went 10 of 18 from the floor, including 4 of 10 from behind the three point arc for 28 points. He was joined double figures by
Jeffrey Oxford (So. Claremore, Okla.), and
Frederick Watts II (So. Houston, Texas) who each had 10 points on the night.
Lual Magot (Jr. Tucson, Ariz.) and
Josh Rivers (Fr. Midwest City, Okla.), just missed out on double figures, both scoring 9 points.
With the loss, the Bulldogs fall to 7-9 overall, and 3-8 in the KCAC. They will try and put this loss behind them quickly, and get ready for another challenge as they go back on the road next Monday to take on the Bethel College Threshers. The Bulldogs and Threshers will tipoff at 8:00 pm following the women's game.
MC (83) – Barideaux (28), Oxford (10), Watts (10), Magot (9), Rivers (9), Ellison (8), Hightower (6), Gurley (4).
