McPHERSON, Kan. – The McPherson High School Girls Basketball team clinched at least a share of the AVCTL-3 league title on Tuesday, Feb. 24, defeating Mulvane on Senior Night at the Roundhouse, 48-42.
The matchup featured two teams who entered tied for the No. 1 spot in the AVCTL-3 standings entering Thursday, with 7-1 league records. McPherson’s only league loss entering the game was at Mulvane on Jan. 9, falling to the Wildcats 39-38.
In Tuesday’s rematch in McPherson, the Bullpups had a hot start to lead by 10 just four minutes in, but Mulvane turned it around to take a 3-point lead in the second quarter. The final three minutes of the second quarter went back-and-forth, with the score tied at 21 entering the locker room.
McPherson had a four-point lead in the final seconds of the third quarter, before Mulvane’s Juliana Holman hit a three-pointer to make it a 35-34 McPherson lead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Bullpups used a strong fourth quarter to pull away from Mulvane, outscoring the Wildcats 13-8 to win by a final score of 48-42.
In the final seconds of the game, head coach Clint Kinnamon orchestrated one-by-one substitutions to give the three seniors a standing ovation from the McPherson crowd, as they exited the Roundhouse floor for the final time in a regular-season game. The three seniors recognized were Maryn Sandbo, Brooke Doile, and Elley Paulsen.
Doile led McPherson with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Piper Alvord added 11 points for the Bullpups. Star Mulvane sophomore Brittani Peschel had 12 points, 6 assists, and 4 steals.
The win clinched at least a share of the AVCTL-3 title, marking the 33rd league title in McPherson Girls Basketball history in its 48th year as a part of a league. McPherson finished 4th in the AVCTL-3 standings in 2025 with a 5-5 record, which came following a stretch where McPherson won or shared 17 league titles in a row.
The Bullpups improve to 12-10 on the season, 8-1 in league play. They will conclude their regular season at Winfield on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Mulvane falls to 13-9 on the year, (7-2 AVCTL-3). They wrap up their regular season on Thursday as well, as they will travel to Towanda to face Circle.
