McPherson, Kan. – The Bulldogs returned home on Saturday to host the Friends University Falcons in their final home contest of 2025. McPherson entered the matchup seeking its second conference win after five consecutive losses, while Friends looked to improve to 6-1 in KCAC play.
The Basics
Location: Holman Fieldhouse
Score: MC 62, FU 91
Records: MC 6-7 (KCAC 1-6), FU 11-1 (KCAC 6-1)
How it Happened
The Falcons opened the scoring with a bucket from Abigail Barr, but Maizen Gillam quickly answered with a layup of her own. The two teams traded baskets through the early portion of the first quarter before Friends began to pull away, sparked by a three-pointer from Lauryn McIver and a pair of free throws form Barr. Friends shot over 50% from the field in the opening frame, knocking down one three and going 6 for 9 from the free throw line. McPherson, meanwhile shot just under 28% from the floor, also connecting on one three and finishing 4 of 6 at the stripe. Friends finished the quarter on top, taking a commanding 25-15 lead.
McPherson got on the board just under three minutes into the quarter as Raeghan Borman finished a layup to halt Friends’ 6-0 run to open the frame. The Falcons continued to stretch their lead, pushing the margin to as many as 24 before closing the half with a last second three from Katie Weiss. Gillian Rodgers paced McPherson in the quarter, scoring five of the Bulldogs’ 13 points while adding a block and two rebounds. The Falcons carried a decisive 51-28 advantage into halftime.
The Bulldogs opened the second half with renewed energy, outscoring the Falcons 20-19 in the third quarter. McPherson posted a game-high 67% shooting clip from the field and went a perfect 4 of 4 from beyond the arc, while Friends shot a game low 29% and went 0 for 6 from deep in the period. Auhnesty Hawkins, Gillam, and Rodgers each put up six points, with Borman adding the remaining two for the Bulldogs. Despite the strong quarter, McPherson still trailed Friends by 22 points heading into the final frame.
Friends used a 9-2 run to started the fourth quarter and extend their lead to 29. McPherson attempted to cut into the margin, but the Falcons maintained control, matching each Bulldogs basket late. Friends closed the game by outscoring McPherson 21-14 in the fourth to earn a dominant 91-62 victory.
Maizen Gillam powered the Bulldogs with 16 points, adding one assist and three rebounds, while Gillian Rodgers followed closely with 15 points, two blocks, one assist, and three rebounds.
Up Next
McPherson will travel to Wichita, Kansas on Tuesday to face Newman University in an exhibition game. Tip-off is set for 1:00 PM.
