credit: www.macbulldogs.com
McPherson, Kan. – The last time the Bulldogs faced Friends University, the Falcons claimed a two-point win in Wichita; on February 19th, MC will be looking to get some payback. The junior varsity teams will tipoff at 4:00 p.m. (CT) with the varsity game set for 8:00.
McPherson sits at 9-19 on the year and are 5-11 in the KCAC. Consistency has been a problem for Mac for a lot of the season. On occasion they can score at will but then at other times they can’t seem to buy a bucket. In their most recent outing, the ‘Dogs put up 91 on Southwestern in their 10-point win.
MC in the NAIA – TJ Grant is third in the NAIA D-II in assist/turnover ratio at 3.5 – meaning he dishes out over three dimes for every turnover he records; he is 13th in total assists, 136, and sits 20th in assists per game at 4.9. Darius Hill ranks seventh in total rebounds with 259 and is ninth in boards per game at 9.5.
All statistics are from KCAC games only.
Mac sits eighth in the league in scoring offense at 72.8 points a night; they make 41.2% from the field and 35% from deep which is fourth in the KCAC. The team nets 7.38 three balls a night, tying them for second in the conference. Defensively, the ‘Dogs surrender 75.3 points each time out while letting their opponent shoot in 47.8% from the field, bottom of the KCAC. They net 35.6 rebounds a game along with 13.1 assists, 5.3 steals, and 2.3 blocks. MC’s turnover margin of 2.1 is third in the league, as is their assist/turnover ratio of 1.27.
Hill has amassed 276 points on the year and is shooting in 52.1% from the field; he averages a double-double with his 10.1 rebounding mark. Grant averages 14.4 points a night and has cashed in on 29-of-76 threes for a team-high 38.2 percentage; he has totaled 84 assists. DeAndre Henson leads the way in three-point buckets with his 33; he averages 11.9 points a night along with 3.9 boards. Chris Crook is close to the 10-point average at 9.6; he has hit on 27-of-77 three balls.
MC in the KCAC – Hill sits sixth with his 18.4 scoring average and is third in field goal percentage; he leads the conference in rebounds with 151 and has a league best 13 double-doubles in his 15 KCAC games. Grant is second in free throw percentage at 86.3% and seventh in three-point percentage; he is second in assists per game (5.25) and leads the way in assist/turnover ratio (4.0)
The Bulldogs host the University of Saint Mary for the final game of the regular season; they will tipoff at 5:00 p.m. on February 21st. It will be Senior Night and Red Out Night for MC so be sure to rock the red.
Scouting Friends
The Falcons nearly swept their way through the first round of conference play, going 7-2. Since the turn, they have gone 2-5; of their seven KCAC losses this year, all but two have been within 10 points; their last two were 14 and 16 point defeats.
All statistics are from KCAC games only.
Friends is scoring 72.9 points a night, seventh in the league, and score on 43.2% from the field, 33.6% from distance, and 70.5% from the stripe. They have the best defense in terms of scoring as they allow just 69.8 on average; their opponents are shooting in 41.4 percent from the floor and 31.8 from deep. The Falcons grab 35.9 boards each game while accumulating 12.8 assists, a conference second best 7.4 steals, and 2.9 blocks.
Toby Baxter is netting a team-high 17.6 points and has made 90 field goals, 23 of which came from behind the arc; he has also converted on a team leading 79-of-99 free throws. Brandon Johnson scores 15.4 on average and has drained 35 threes to headline the squad. Chris Singhateh is the final Falcon to hit double figures on average at 12.1. Bretty Williams buckets 7.0 per contest and leads FU in assists with 48.
FU in the KCAC – Baxter is seventh in points per game and fifth in free throw percentage at 79.8%; he is sixth in seals a night at 1.50. Johnson ranks sixth in three-point field goals made per game at 2.19. Lawrence Anderson is atop the league in total blocks with 27.
Friends hosts Bethel College for the KCAC regular season finale.
