Box Score York, Neb. – McPherson College was on the road again on Wednesday night for a KCAC battle with the York University Panthers. In their last meeting, the Bulldogs were able to pull out the victory late to secure their second conference win. Both teams entered the contest looking to rebound from tough losses over the weekend.
The Basics
Location: Freeman Center
Score: MC 88, YU 89
Records: MC 8-17 (KCAC 3-15), YU 8-18 (KCAC 2-16)
How it Happened
York came out firing, using an 8-1 run to jump ahead early and steadily built upon their lead throughout the opening quarter.
Margaret Ajayi answered for the Bulldogs with five straight points – knocking down a pair of layups and converting an and-one – to trim the deficit to just two. However, the Panthers responded quickly and regained control, stretching their advantage to 15 and taking a 30-15 lead into the second quarter.
The momentum shifted in the second as McPherson found its rhythm, outscoring York 22-8 in the frame. The Bulldogs were lights out from beyond the arc, shooting an impressive 50% from three-point range.
Mikah Hammerquist buried her third triple of the quarter to tie the game at 37-37 with just 13 seconds remaining, but a later free throw from the Panthers sent York into halftime holding a slim one-point edge.
The teams traded baskets early in the third, but York used a 14-4 surge midway through the quarter to regain control. Ajayi led McPherson in the period with four points, going 2-3 from the field, while the Bulldogs' other 11 points were spread across the lineup. Destiny Shepard powered the Panthers' offense, scoring nine in the frame on 3-5 shooting and a perfect 2-2 effort at the line. York carried that momentum into the fourth, where McPherson trailed 62-52.
The Bulldogs found themselves down by 12 points with 7:18 remaining, but they refused to back down.
Amaree Henderson sparked a 16-5 run with the first four points of the stretch pulling McPherson within one. Over the final three and a half minutes, the Bulldogs kept fighting, repeatedly trimming the deficit to a single point. Gillam's last-second three-pointer came up just short of completing the comeback, as McPherson fell to York 89-88.
Maizen Gillam delivered another standout performance, recording her fifth 20-point game of the season with 26 points. She shot 43% from the field, including 7-15 from beyond the arc.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will travel to Wichita, Kansas to take on the Friends University Falcons for their final road game of the season. Tip off is set for 3:00 PM.
