Photo by Jakob Komel
McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College men's basketball team bounced back from Wednesday's disappointing loss on the road at Southwestern with a 15 point win, 71-56, at home, on Saturday over the Sterling College Warriors.
Like they did against the Moundbuilders on Wednesday, the Bulldogs got off to another slow start on Saturday against the Wearriors. The Bulldogs actually had fewer points than minutes played at the 11 minute mark of the half, and trailed the Warriors by nine, 17-8.
The difference between Wednesday's game and today's was the Bulldogs' ability to find their rhythm on both ends of the floor, where they were able to claw their way back into the game. By the end of the half, they had trimmed the Sterling lead down from nine points to just two, 32-30.
On their first possession of the second half, Gage Maccoy hit a three pointer to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game, and they never trailed the Warriors the remainder of the game.
At the 12:35 mark in the second half, the Bulldog lead had ballooned out to double digits, 47-36, but the Warriors wouldn't go away. They made a run at the Bulldogs, getting back to within four points, 53-49 with 7:36 left in regulation, but the Bulldogs responded with an 8-0 run of their own to push the lead back out to 12 points, 61-49 with 4:30 left on the clock.
That run took the wind out of the Warriors' sails, and the Bulldogs cruised home to the win.
Key Statistic
The Bulldogs dominated the paint, out-scoring the Warriors 43-16.
By the Numbers
The Bulldogs shot 44% from the floor, making 28 of 63 of their attempts.
They struggled again from deep, making just 2 of 14 shot from beyond the arc.
They were good from charity stripe, going 13 of 18 (72%)
Three Bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Josh Rivers who had a double double with 18 points, and 10 assists. Ja'Quan Chestnut also had a double double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Bulldogs and Warriors were even in the turnover battle each coughing it up 16 times, but the Bulldogs dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Warriors 46-28.
Bulldog Leaders
Points: Josh Rivers (18)
Rebounds: Ja'Quan Chestnut (12)
Assists: Josh Rivers (10)
Steals: Four Bulldogs (2)
Blocks: Gage Maccoy (1)
Coaches Quote:
"That was a good team win. We got contributions from everyone who played. I also thought our bench was great supporting their teammates. Josh Rivers and Ja'quan Chestnut were both big scoring the ball for us. I also thought that Owen Braxmeyer gave us some great minutes. We now need to get ready for Tabor on Monday."– Coach Eskildsen
Next Up
With the win, the Bulldogs move to 10-7 overall, and 5-6 in KCAC play. They are back in action again Monday evening, hosting the Tabor College Bluejays at 8:00 pm at the Sport Center. Â
