McPHERSON, Kan. – After a roller coaster of an opening semester, McPherson girls and boys basketball return to action to start the 2025 calendar year Friday, Jan. 10 against Mulvane at the Roundhouse.
The MHS girls are 2-4 on the year, 1-1 in AVCTL Div. 3 play. They closed off a big stretch of games with a gutsy 54-52 win over Circle on the road to get their first divisional win on the year, thanks to their strong defense in the stretch and clutch shooting. Less than 24 hours later, they had to endure an early morning three-hour trip to the Kansas City area to face a tough Bishop Miege team, falling 68-16 against a tall, fast, and traditioned school with multiple college prospects.
The young Bullpup girls squad currently sits in 11th in 4A Regional standings, but it is worth noting that the team has endured, and will continue to endure, some of the toughest teams in the state. They suffered tough losses to one of the best 6A teams in Derby, a strong 5A team in Andover, and a consistent 4A contender in Bishop Miege. They’ll have some tough battles in the Mid America Classic Jan. 30-Feb. 1, will play tough AVCTL Div. 3 teams like Mulvane and Buhler, and will have to make another road trip to Hays on Feb. 11, who McPherson lost to a season ago and have gotten stronger.
The Bullpup boys continue to use their experience and fast-paced offense to start the year 5-1, staying a perfect 2-0 against divisional rivals. Their 72-71 loss to Derby on Dec. 10 snapped a 26-game winning streak dating back to the prior season, but they battled back with double digit wins in the four games after, including a 71-58 win against a talented Bishop Miege team to close the first semester. One key loss the Bullpups endured was the injury to junior guard Jett Pyle after tweaking his ankle against Circle, but he may return to start the semester after sitting out against Miege and having the extended winter break to rest and recover. Pyle averages 15.4 PPG this season.
However, it’s been “same game, different year” for senior Gabe Pyle, who continues to lead McPherson with 21.3 points per game. The year has also seen an emergence of senior forward Ian Razak, who went from 3.7 PPG last season to now averaging 12.0 points per game this year, including scoring 14 against Bishop Miege. The KBCA’s most recent rankings put McPherson at #3 in the state in 4A. They currently sit in 3rd in the 4A West Regional standings, behind undefeated Concordia and Augusta.
The games scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 7 at Augusta were postponed due to the conditions from Winter Storm Blair. The games will now be played Thursday, Feb. 6. The Bullpups will square off against Mulvane Friday, Jan. 10 at the Roundhouse. The girls will tip-off at 6 p.m., followed by the boys at around 7:30 p.m. The teams will hold a poster signing event following the boys game.
Catch all Bullpup basketball games on 98.9/1540 KMCP and tune in to our video streams at adastraradio.com/tv.
