Sterling, Kan. – The McPherson College men's basketball team traveled to Sterling, Kansas on Wednesday, opening up the final week of the regular season against the Sterling College Warriors.
It was an up and down effort in the first half. The Bulldogs led by 12 at the midway point, then saw the Warriors come all the way back and tie the game again. Late in the half, the Bulldogs went on another run, and finished the half up by 11, 41-32.
The second half was much like the first. The Warriors played a zone defense, which the Bulldogs haven't seen much of this year, forcing MC to be patient and take more shots from outside the paint. When the Bulldogs weren't knocking down shots, the Warriors would sneak back into the game. The Bulldogs weathered the Warrior runs, each time pushing the lead back up to double digits.
On two occasions in the second half, the Warriors trimmed the Bulldog lead down to four points. Each of those instances, the Bulldogs responded with a quick run to put some space between themselves and the Warriors.
In the final 30 seconds of action, the outcome had been decided. The Bulldogs led by 15 with 17 seconds on the clock. With it being senior night for Sterling, the Warriors called timeout to get a substitution, inserting one of their seniors into the game who had been injured most of the season. They got him the ball for a three point attempt, but he missed. The rebound came to MC's Ja'Quan Chestnut. In a great show of sportsmanship, he deliberately turned the ball over, passing it to the Warrior to give him another chance. On his second attempt, he buried the three pointer making the final score Bulldogs 81, Warriors 69.
It was a career night for Bulldog freshman Owen Braxmeyer, who scored 24 points in the win.
Key Statistic
The Bulldogs had more offensive rebounds (25) than defensive rebounds (22). They turned those 25 offensive rebounds into 25 points.
By the Numbers
The Bulldogs 36% from the floor, making 27 of 74 attempts, and from deep they were 8 of 30 (26%).
They had a good night from the free throw line, making 19 of 24 attempts (79%).
Four Bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Braxmeyer's 24.
The Bulldogs had half as many turnovers (8) as the Warriors (16), and on the boards, they out-rebounded the Warriors 47-32.
Bulldog Leaders
Points: Owen Braxmeyer (24)
Rebounds: Ja'Quan Chestnut (15)
Assists: Owen Braxmeyer (3)
Steals: Owen Braxmeyer (3)
Blocks: Jason Okoro (1)
Coach's Quote
"Great to get a road win. We haven't won at Sterling in a few years. Our effort on the offensive glass was huge. Owen Braxmeyer was big for us on the offensive end. Hopefully we can now build on this effort going into the Tabor game on Saturday." – Coach Eskildsen
Next Up
The win snaps a three game losing streak and puts the Bulldogs at 17-12 overall, and 12-11 in conference games. They will wrap up the regular season on Saturday with a trip to Hillsboro, Kansas for a match-up with Tabor College at 7:00 pm.
