AUGUSTA, Kan. – The Bullpup girls won mightily against Augusta, while the boys won a close bout with the Orioles in an all-around wacky day for their final road game of the season. The wins also clinches the outright AVCTL D3 title this season for both the girls and boys.
GIRLS – McPherson 53, Augusta 16
The wackiness began just 37 seconds into the game as the fire alarm went off at the school, forcing a 5-10 minute delay only to learn it was just a false alarm. The game resumed as both teams went back-and-forth in the first four minutes, but it was all Bullpups for the final 28 minutes. The 37-point win is their second-largest winning margin this season (won by 43 points on Feb. 2 vs. Wichita-Collegiate).
Karter Alvord led with 21 points for the Bullpups, hitting four 3-pointers. Jaela Thompson added 11.
The win also clinches McPherson as the No. 2 team in the 4A West standings.
The Bullpups are now 15-4 (9-0 AVCTL D3) on the season.
BOYS – McPherson 43, Augusta 32
Time of possession is a statistic not often paid attention to in basketball, but Augusta would win that stat by a landslide. The Orioles came into their game with a plan to hold the ball as long as possible until they find an open shot, which limited the amount of touches offensively by McPherson, a team who averages 68.9 points/game.
The Bullpups led only 14-10 at halftime, all while not scoring a single point in the second quarter. However, they had a strong 3rd period, outscoring Augusta 23-8, pushing them ahead to their victory. Their final point total of 43 is their lowest of the season (previous low was 56 on Feb. 6 at Hays).
Gabe Pyle led with 13 points, 11 of which coming in the second half. Kyden Thompson piled on 10 more.
The win clinches McPherson as the No. 1 team not only in the 4A west, but in the entire 4A classification.
The Bullpup boys remain undefeated at 19-0 (9-0 AVCTL D3).
Their final game of the regular season will be senior night on Thursday, Feb. 22 against Mulvane at the Roundhouse. The girls will play at 6 p.m. and the boys at 7:30 p.m. Both games can be heard on 98.9/1540 KMCP.
