SALINA, Kan. – A thrilling State Tournament Quarterfinal matchup in the “Battle of the Canines” saw the McPherson Bullpups victorious over the Baldwin Bulldogs at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina Wednesday, sending McPherson to their now state record 41st Final Four.
Both teams struggled out of the game with an 8-8 tie through one quarter, but it was McPherson’s Jett Pyle and Baldwin’s Cooper Carr taking the brunt of the scoring in the opening frame. McPherson ended up trailing for most of the second quarter, but only trailed by two points following a floating buzzer beater by Cade Strathman ended the first half with a 20-18 Baldwin advantage.
Baldwin took advantage of foul trouble, converting on multiple buckets in the paint and taking a nine point lead with three minutes left in the 3rd quarter, and an eight point lead at the end of the quarter. However, McPherson brought some magic to Salina with an 11-0 start to the 4th quarter as shots were finally able to fall. Baldwin didn’t give up, even when Carr, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, fouled out late in the 4th quarter. Carr finished with a game high 27 points and 10 rebounds. It was the next man up, Leo Schoenberger, who drew an and-one to tie the game late in regulation. McPherson had a chance to win, but the ball was deflected as time expired, sending the game to overtime on a 51-51 tie.
Both teams went back-and-forth in the extra frame, leading McPherson to have the ball in a tied game with less than 30 seconds left. Baldwin fouled sophomore Ashton Malm when McPherson was in the bonus with 17 seconds remaining. Malm had a career day finishing with 11 points and 8 rebounds, but converted on one of two free throws to put the Bullpups up by one. Schoenberger dribbled the ball up himself as Baldwin decided to go for it all despite having two timeouts remaining. Schoenberger drove past Jett Pyle and laid the ball in with seven seconds remaining. McPherson had no timeouts remaining to stop the clock, but Gabe Pyle took the inbounds play, drove down the left sideline, and swished home a running ten-foot floater as time expired to win the game for McPherson 60-59 in overtime.
What a sequence for McPherson to win the State Quarterfinal game vs. Baldwin.
Ashton Malm (@Ashtonmalm12) gives McPherson the lead at the line but Baldwin answers back with a layup.
Then, the senior Gabe Pyle (@GabrielPyle24) wins the game with a runner at the buzzer!#KSPreps pic.twitter.com/iaVSZLYeJy
— Lane Gillespie (@LaneGillPxP) March 12, 2025
“I told the guys that the difference being totally elated and totally dejected is one great shot,” head coach Kurt Kinnamon said after the game. “It was a great shot by a guy who I think is a top five player in the state. [He was] fighting through a little bit of a shooting slump, but he comes out and shoots 5/10 from three and 6/6 from the [free throw] line. I can’t say enough about Gabe [Pyle].” Gabe Pyle led all scorers with 23 points while his cousin, Jett, finished strong with 22 points.
Even with the dominant showing from the Pyle family, Kinnamon showed great pleasure with the game from sophomore Ashton Malm. “The littlest guy on the floor had eight rebounds,” Kinnamon said. “He is uber competitive.”
The win for McPherson marked the 41st Final Four in their 88th year of McPherson Boys Basketball. The mark is now a new state record for the most Final Fours out of any school at any level in Kansas, breaking KC-Wyandotte’s record of 40. “It means we’ve been pretty good since way before me,” Kinnamon, who is in his 30th year as the MHS head coach, said. “When you have Jay Frazier and Mike Henson and those guys with what they set, and I got to come in and be the lucky recipient of a town that loves basketball and a lot of former players that decided to stay in town and have kids. It’s a great honor.”
McPherson is guaranteed two more games, starting with the State Semifinal vs. undefeated No. 1 Ottawa Friday, March 14 at 2:00 p.m. A win would send them to their third straight State Championship Game appearance at 4 p.m. Saturday, but a loss would send them to an early-day 3rd Place Game Saturday at noon. The final games of the season will be broadcast on 98.9/1540 KMCP and will be streamed on video on our TV page.
Photos by Cindy Kinnamon
