Kansas City, Mo. – The McPherson College men's basketball team moved into sole possession of the 4th place spot in the KCAC standings on Wednesday with a 82-68 win on the road against the Avila University Eagles.
In the first half, it seemed like everything that the Bulldogs threw at the rim, somehow found its way through the hoop. The first half was neck and neck through the first 12 minutes of action. Over the last eight minutes of the half, the Bulldogs went on a 19-0 run fueled by 9 points from Kemryn Jenkins (Sr. Eminence, Ky.) off the bench. When the smoke cleared, the Bulldogs led by 19 at the break 48-29.
In the second half, both teams made several large offensive runs. In the first five minutes of the period, the Eagles trimmed the lead down to 13 points, before the Bulldogs responded with a 19-4 run to expand the lead out to 27 points. It looked like the Bulldogs had the game well in hand but then they went cold from the field. That coupled with the Eagles turning up the defensive pressure, and things started to change.
The Eagles went on a 19-2 run and cut the Bulldog lead back down to 10 points 73-63. Five unanswered points by the Bulldogs finally stopped the bleeding, and they were able to hold on for the 14 point victory, completing the season sweep of the Eagles.
Key Statistic
The Bulldogs dominated the Eagles on the glass. They out-rebounded the Eagles 55 to 34 with 18 of those boards coming on the offensive glass.
By the Numbers
The Bulldogs shot 45% from the floor for the game, but struggled from beyond the arc, especially in the second half. They were 6 of 20 in the first half but made just 3 of 17 in the final 20 minutes.
It was the first time all season that two different players recorded a double double in the same game. Fred Watts (Sr. Channelview, Texas), had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Myles McCrary (So. Arlington, Texas) had a career high 16 points, and 12 boards.
The only real negative in the game was the turnover margin. The Bulldogs committed 16 turnovers, to just 10 for the home team.
Bulldog Leaders
Points: Kemryn Jenkins (18)
Rebounds: Myles McCrary (12)
Assists: Jason Okoro, Kemryn Jenkins (4)
Steals: Jason Okoro, Kemryn Jenkins (2)
Blocks: Fred Watts (4)
Coach Quote
"Proud of our guys' effort tonight. Anytime you can go on the road in conference and win you will always take that. Avila has been playing extremely well and I was happy with the energy that we came out with. I thought Myles McCrary had his best game in a Bulldog uniform tonight. He was an absolute animal on the glass and finishing around the rim. It was fun to see how the rest of our team was excited for him. Having guys bought in for each other and playing for each other is what basketball is all about. I wish that we could have played with a little more consistency in the 2nd half but again I'm happy we got a big road win against a very good Avila team."
Next Up
The Bulldogs are now 8-5 on the season, and 6-5 in KCAC play. They will get at redemption when they host the Bethany College Swedes at the Sport Center on Saturday at 3:00 pm. The Swedes won the first meeting back on January 4 in Lindsborg, 81-75.
