Photo by Jakob Komel
Dubuque, Iowa. – The McPherson College men's basketball team bounced back after a tough loss on Friday to Clarke University with a 74-61 win over the St. Ambrose University Fighting Bees.
The Bulldogs struggled out of the gate against the Fighting Bees, shooting just 23% from the field, and 17% from beyond the three point arc in the first 20 minutes of action. If not for their defensive effort, the damage could have been worse. Despite the poor offensive performance they found themselves only trailing by seven, 31-24, at the halftime intermission.
In the second half, the script flipped. Shots that weren't falling in the first half, suddenly started dropping. They hit 45% of their shot in the second session, and 43% of their shots from deep. When the final horn sounded, the Bulldogs had outscored the Bees in the second half by 20 points, turning a seven point deficit into a 13 point win.
Key Statistic
The Bulldogs dominated the boards against the Bees. They grabbed a total of 47 rebounds, 17 coming on the offensive glass which they turned into 16 points.
By the Numbers
The Bulldogs more than doubled their scoring output from the first to the second half.
MC hit 13 three pointers over half of their total points.
The Bulldogs were outscored by the Bees 38 to 26 in the paint.
MC won the turnover battle 9 to 17.
Bulldog Leaders
Points: Travon Gibson (26)
Rebounds: Ben Pyle (11)
Assists: Ben Pyle (6)
Steals: Ben Pyle (3)
Blocks: none
Coach Quote
"I was proud of the fight that our guys showed today against a very good St. Ambrose team. We struggled to make shots in the first half but kept ourselves in the game with our effort on the defensive end. In the second half Ben Pyle and Travon Gibson were both able to really get going from 3. It was nice to see the competitiveness. I hope that these games have gotten us prepared for the tough conference schedule that awaits us. The nine hour bus ride home will be a little more pleasant after this win." – Coach Eskildsen
Next Up
The Bulldogs wrap up the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 4-1 record. They will start the KCAC season next Wednesday when they host the University of St. Mary Spires at the Sport Center for an 8:00 pm matchup. Â Â Â Â Â Â
