Wichita, Kan. – McPherson College headed south on Saturday afternoon for their final road contest of the season to take on the Falcons of Friends University. The Bulldogs looked to close out their road slate with a win, while Friends aimed to get back on track after two straight losses to Ottawa and Sterling.
The Basics
Location: Garvey Center
Score: MC 65, FU 96
Records: MC 8-18 (KCAC 3-17), FU 21-5 (KCAC 15-5)
How it Happened
The Bulldogs’ slow offensive starts continued to plague them, as they shot just 25% in the opening frame and hit only 1 of 5 attempts from beyond the arc. This led to just 11 points for McPherson, while the Falcons poured in 22. The deficit grew to 25 in the second quarter, fueled by a 13-0 run from the Falcons to open the period, but a late three from Maizen Gillam sent the Bulldogs into halftime trailing 48-26. McPherson showed some offensive improvement in the second, shooting 33% from the field, yet once again managed just a single make from three-point range.
The third quarter opened with back-to-back threes from Gillam, but Raegan Bugaj answered with one of her own for Friends. Gillam scored 11 of McPherson’s 19 points in the period, while four other Bulldogs added two points apiece. Despite Gillam’s strong showing, McPherson trailed by 26 heading into the final frame after Friends posted 23 points in the quarter.
McPherson came out strong in the fourth, scoring eight of the first 10 points as Dana Imankulova and Gillam each knocked down a triple and Isabella Rosa added a basket in the paint. The Bulldogs put up 12 more points over the final eight minutes, with six coming from Amaree Henderson. Meanwhile, the Falcons shot a game-high 65% from the field, scoring 25 points to seal a 96-65 win.
Amaree Henderson led McPherson with 25 points, while Gillam followed closely with 24 – marking her second straight game with at least 20.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will be back at Holman Fieldhouse on Wednesday for a midweek matchup with the Sterling College Warriors. Tip off is set for 6:00 PM.
