Ottawa, Kan – The Bulldogs took on the Ottawa Braves this past weekend for their third KCAC matchup of the season. McPherson College came into the contest off a heart-breaking 75-73 loss at home to Kansas Wesleyan, while the Braves came into the Holman Fieldhouse following two-straight KCAC victories over Tabor and Kansas Wesleyan.
The Basics
Location: Holman Fieldhouse
Records: MC 5-3 (1-1 KCAC), OU 5-3 (2-1 KCAC)
Score: MC 84, OU 69
How it Happened
McPherson converted more than half of their shot attempts in the first half (20-38), allowing for the Bulldogs to take a 51-38 lead at the halftime break. The Braves also shot well in the first half (50%), but took eight less attempts than McPherson and could only get three of their six shots at the charity stripe to fall.
Although McPherson hit 10-24 three-pointers on the night, the Bulldogs found a great deal of points within the paint, scoring 48 from close range. Similar to their previous win over Southwester, the Bulldogs won the turnover margin by limiting themselves to just 11 and racking up 20 takeaways on the other end of the court, allowing for the Bulldogs to add 23 points to their scoreline. A leader in that category for the Bulldogs was Tarrance Austin who totaled three steals in the game; Austin was a force everywhere on the court as he collected seven rebounds, two assists and 18 points.
Offensively, the Bulldogs were led by Dash Johnson who totaled 21 points with a majority of his points being found from beyond the arc (5-10). Kobin Gunn followed closely behind with 17 points and seven rebounds; Dallas Metzger also contributed to the scoring with two buckets from three-point land and inside the arc.
McPherson worked their lead up to as high as 18 points between themselves and the Braves, but the eventual final score ended up with the visitors ahead 84-69.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will hit the road during Thanksgiving break as they’ll take on Hesston College in the Yost Center on November 25th 7:00 PM.
