From MacBulldogs.com
MCPHERSON, Kan. — Owen Braxmeyer recorded his fourth double-double of the season, and second in three games, as the McPherson College Bulldogs knocked off the Sterling College Warriors 70-63 Saturday (Jan. 28) inside the Sports Center.
“I was really proud of our guy’s effort tonight,” head coach T.J. Eskildsen said. “Coming off of a tough loss at Saint Mary on Thursday, and it being the third game of the week, we really challenged our guys to be focused for a full 40 minutes and fight through fatigue.”
Scoring was at a premium for both teams early and often, but the Bulldogs held a slight 18-16 advantage with just 7:45 left in the opening frame.
The Bulldogs appeared to be heading into the locker room with a seven-point lead, but a triple by Andrew O’Neal made it a 31-27 Bulldogs at the break.
Antonio Watson finished with 11 points, with eight coming in the opening half.
The Warriors scored the first five points of the second frame to move in front by one. Then from there, it was back and forth.
The Bulldogs broke free at the end, with Charles Snyder, Yaniel Vidal, and Braxmeyer making their free throws down the stretch.
“Both teams struggled to find much rhythm on the offensive end, but we were able to make just enough plays to beat a really good and well-coached team,” Eskildsen said.
Vidal added 15 points and four assists for the Bulldogs.
Kavonte Kinney paced the Warriors with 13 points, and Chris Drake added 11 points and six rebounds.
“I thought Owen Braxmeyer and Yaniel Vidal really did some good things and made some big plays on the offensive end. Antonio Watson made a big shot late, even after struggling most of the game. It’s exciting to see these young guys grow and learn how to win tight games. Now we need to turn our focus to Tabor on Wednesday.”
The Bulldogs, winners of two of their last three games, hit the road Wednesday night for a matchup against Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
