BUHLER, Kan. – A league-opening rivalry saw a pair of heart-pounding finishes at Jim Baker Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 16, with the Bullpup Girls earning the win over Buhler 31-28, but the boys falling to the Crusaders 49-48.
The girls’ varsity game saw both teams struggling to get open looks on offense, as neither team scored in the first five minutes. The Bullpups then went on a run to end the first quarter up 8-3. McPherson led 12-8 at halftime and 21-11 at the end of the 3rd quarter, but Buhler stayed alive to bring the game to within three points with less than one minute left.
The Bullpups had timely stops to run away with the win, ending a four-game losing streak 31-28, avenging the two losses they had to Buhler in the 2024-25 season. Brooke Doile and Piper Alvord contributed with eight points apiece to lead the team.
The boys’ varsity game saw McPherson looking to turn around a losing streak while Buhler entered with their best start in three years. Buhler was hot from the jump, leading 18-12 at the end of the first quarter. Buhler led by five at halftime, but McPherson went on an early third-quarter run to take the lead before Buhler tied the game at 37 to end the third quarter.
The Bullpups took a late fourth-quarter lead 42-41, but Buhler got hot once again, thanks to clutch shooting by Isaiah Heredia and Luke Holmberg, to run away with the win 49-48, defeating McPherson for the first time since 2022.
Jett Pyle finished with 24 points, making all five of McPherson’s three-pointers in the game. Freshman forward Eli Reasoner had 10 points, but was all over the paint on offense and defense with timely blocks and rebounds.
Both McPherson varsity teams are 2-4 on the season. They will close off the 2025 calendar year on Saturday, Dec. 20, at the 810 Varsity Showcase at Shawnee Mission East High School in Kansas City, Kan. The girls will face Olathe North at 5:00 p.m., and the boys will face Olathe South at 6:30 p.m. The games will broadcast live on 98.9/1540 KMCP and will be streamed on video on Ad Astra TV.
