Photo by Junior Silva
McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College men's basketball team came from 15 down in the second half to win their season opener at home against the Columbia College Cougars 74-71.
This year's Bulldog squad is built to score from long distance, but in the first half they struggled to find a rhythm, only making 5 of 18 attempts from behind the arc. That coupled with the fact that the Cougars were dominating the Bulldogs in the paint the first 20 minutes and the Bulldogs found themselves trailing the Cougars at the break, 41-32. Ben Pyle had 11 of his 13 points in the first half, keeping the Bulldogs within striking distance.
Out of the break, the Bulldogs continued to struggle shooting the ball. Two minutes into the second half, and that nine point Cougar lead had ballooned out to 15 points, 50-35. With 14 minutes to play the Cougar lead was still in double digits, 54-43, but the Bulldogs were starting to find their groove on both ends of the floor.
Travon Gibson caught fire in the second half, knocking down five triples to spark the Bulldog comeback. Over the course of the final 14 minutes, the Bulldogs out-scored the Cougars 31-17, to turn an 11 point deficit into a three point victory.
Key Statistic
Three point shooting was the difference in tonight's win. The Bulldogs finished the game, making 12 shots from deep while the Cougars knocked down just five.
 By the Numbers
The Bulldogs shot 39% from the floor, and 37% from behind the arc.
The Bulldog starters scored 56 of their 74 points, and three scored in double figures.
The Cougars out-rebounded the Bulldogs 46 to 38, but MC won the turnover battle 7 to 12.
Bulldog Leaders
Points: Travon Gibson (21)
Rebounds: Ben Pyle (8)
Assists: Josh Rivers, Ben Pyle (4)
Steals: Ben Pyle (2)
Blocks: Ben Pyle (2)
Coach Quote
"I was proud of the toughness we showed tonight. Our defensive effort in the second half was huge. It's nice to get a win like that early in the year. Now we have to turn our focus to another really good opponent tomorrow night." – Coach Eskildsen
Next Up
The Bulldogs will be back on the hardwood on Saturday night for day two of the McPherson College Classic. They will host the Oklahoma City University Stars, out of the Sooner Athletic Conference, in an 8:00 pm match up. Â Â
