OTTAWA, Kan. (MacBulldogs.com) — Whenever McPherson College and Ottawa University square off in men’s basketball, chances are it will be a hard-fought game, and Wednesday night (Feb. 15) was no different as the Braves came away with an 81-79 win at Wilson Field House.
Things were about as even as possible, finishing with nine ties and eight lead changes. Threes by Curtis Rose and Owen Braxmeyer twice gave the Bulldogs a seven point advantage midway through the first half.
The Braves trimmed the lead to 35-32 four minutes later before four quick points pushed the lead back to seven. Ottawa closed the first half on a 7-0 burst to level the score at the break.
Ottawa shot 50.0 percent from the field in the opening half, while the Bulldogs grabbed ten offensive rebounds.
The second half was back-and-forth early on before triples by Deondre Buggage and Angok Anyang made it a 55-49 Ottawa lead with 13:14 to play.
McPherson clawed its way back over the next three and a half minutes to knot the score at 60-60, capped off by a trey by Antonio Watson. However, once again a 6-0 spurt that included four straight points by Jayden Hibbitt put the Braves on top with just over eight minutes remaining.
The Bulldogs again had an answer using an 11-2 burst to grab their first lead since early in the second half at 71-68, and even pushed their lead to 76-71 with 2:57 left, but five straight points by Hibbitt including a game-tying three tied the score once more.
Rose briefly gave the Bulldogs a two-point advantage, but a three by Payton Kaiser put the Braves on top 79-78 with 55 seconds to play. A foul by Buggage with 38 seconds left sent Collin Storr to the line, where he went 1-for-2 making it a 79-79 ballgame. But Buggage lifted the Braves over MC with a late basket.
Four Bulldogs (16-9, 11-8 KCAC) scored in double-figures led by Rose and Storr with 21 points apiece. Storr grabbed 13 rebounds, including a game-high four offensive boards. Rose matched his career-high with three steals.
Watson added 14 points, thanks to 6-for-11 shooting, while Labron Wilson finished with 11 points. Braxmeyer led the team with six assists.
MC allowed the Braves to shoot 55.0 percent from the three-point line, the highest of the season. The Bulldogs shot 43.2 percent from the field, but were just 7-for-25 from beyond the arc.
Buggage paced the Braves (15-9, 10-8 KCAC) with 28 points and nine assists. Anyang and Hibbitt added 13 points each, while Woods scored 12 points.
The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday (Feb. 17) to take on Saint Mary. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
