The McPherson College men’s basketball team lost a hard fought 90-72 battle in what was apparently a very sweaty night as the Tabor College Gymnasium floor needed to mopped with towels several times in the 40-minute contest.
After a back-and-forth first few minutes, the Bluejays went on a run to take the lead midway through the half; McPherson was getting the same looks as TC but just didn’t see their shots fall. Mac pushed back but another run by Tabor kept the ‘Dogs at bay. In the closing minutes of the half McPherson, who utilized a group of their young players during that stretch, hit a few shots but still trailed 43-33 at the break. The Bulldogs dropped in 12-of-29 field goal including 5-of-14 from the three-point line; they counted 4-of-7 free throws. Tabor knocked down 16-of-33 from the floor with 6-of-12 threes; the ‘Jays went 5-of-9 from the charity stripe.
In the second half, it seemed that every bucket of McPherson was answered by the Bluejays. If Mac did get a pair of possessions in a row, they were often hindered by turnovers or rushed shots. Tabor put together a mini-run to increase their advantage to 18 with less than 10 to play. The Bulldogs tried to continue to chip away, never willing to call it quits but were never able to get their deficit back into single-digits, ultimately losing 90-72. MC put 16-of-42 field goals through the net in the second half with 3-of-11 coming from range; they cashed in on 4-of-5 foul shots. Tabor counted 17-of-35 from the floor with 4-of-12 behind the arc; the ‘Jays made 5-of-7 from the stripe.
The Bulldogs shot in 28-of-71 field goals in the game with 8-of-25 going down from deep; they converted 8-of-12 free throws. The team grabbed 33 rebounds and also had 14 turnovers, nine assists, and seven steals. 38 of the team’s total points came inside the paint while 31 were from the bench.
Chris Crook led all scoring with 20 points on 8-of-18 field goals and 3-of-4 free throws; he had four rebounds in the contest as well. Dee Roberts ended the night at 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting with 4-of-8 three balls falling through; the junior pulled down five boards. Ramon Martinez tallied 14 points as the sophomore hit 6-of-10 field goals and 2-of-3 free throws; he tied Roberts for most rebounds on the team with five.
The final home game of the 2015 calendar year is next for Mac as they host KCAC newcomer Oklahoma Wesleyan University on Tuesday the 15th for an 8:00 (CT) p.m. tipoff. The game is set to be McPherson’s community appreciation night so all Bulldog fans will get into the game for free!!
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
