Photo by Karrie Rathbone
Article by Quincy Williams
McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson Men's basketball team got back to their winning ways Saturday night against the York Panthers, winning 73-59. The game moved the Bulldogs to 17-6 on the season and 11-5 in KCAC play.
From the opening tip, it was obvious that the Bulldogs were the more cohesive team. They were able to execute their sets seamlessly in the first half and raced out to a 16-5 lead. They shot 43% in the first half to York's 31%. The only statistic that the Bulldogs were outpaced in during the first half was three-point shooting, York hit 4 to McPherson's 3. The Bulldogs led 40-28 after the first half.
The second half was much closer than the 1st. York's big man DeAnte Barnes wreaked havoc, he finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Thankfully, the Bulldogs' Lual Magot (Sr. Tucson, Ariz.) was up to the challenge. He responded with 17 points and 15 boards. Dorian Paige (Sr. Tucson, Ariz.) had one of his best games of the season with 14 points and two assists; he made heady plays all night and played stellar defense. The Bulldogs pushed the lead back to 14 in the last minute of game time after letting their lead shrink as low as six.
"I am proud of our guys effort today," said Bulldog head coach T.J. Eskildsen. "We have played 6 games in the last 13 days. Our ability to stay focused and compete over that stretch is great. Today wasn't the best we have played but we did what we had to do to win against a very talented York team."
The Bulldogs will host St. Mary's next Wednesday night at 8.
Individual Leaders;
Points: Magot - 17
Rebounds: Magot - 15
Assists: Travon Shelvin (So. Pearland, Texas) - 3
Steals: Delvon Hightower (Sr. Bakersfield, Calif.)- 3
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