By Chad Clevenger
McPHERSON, Kan. (CCCTigers.com) – The Central Christian Tigers fought hard but came up short in a 69-63 loss to Southwestern Christian in their latest SAC matchup on Tuesday. Despite a strong first quarter and a hard-fought final frame, the Tigers were unable to hold off Southwestern Christian, falling to 2-7 overall and 0-5 in conference play.
The Tigers were off to a solid start, outscoring Southwestern Christian 17-14 in the first quarter. Charmayne Marshall played an instrumental role in the early success, contributing 16 points and keeping her team within striking distance. The Tigers’ defense was also strong in the opening quarter, but the second quarter proved to be a difficult challenge.
In the second quarter, Central struggled to score, managing just 0 points while Southwestern Christian capitalized with a dominant 17-point run. That swing put the Tigers in a deep hole at the half, trailing 31-17.
Central fought back in the second half, outscoring Southwestern Christian in both the third and fourth quarters. Chloe Clevenger had her 4th double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Hallee Winsea also stepped up, adding 10 points and providing a much-needed offensive spark in the second half. However, the Tigers were unable to completely erase the deficit, despite winning both the third (16-10) and fourth (30-28) quarters.
Tiger Leaders:
Points: Charmayne Marshall (16)
Rebounds: Chloe Clevenger (13)
Assists: Charmayne Marshall (4)
Steals: Charmayne Marshall (2)
Blocks: Cristina Laudan (1)
The team showed resilience throughout the game, especially in the second half, but the second-quarter collapse proved too costly. Central Christian will now shift focus to their next matchup on Thursday, December 5th, when they travel to Nelson University, aiming to bounce back from this tough defeat. The game can be seen on the SAC Sports Network, and tip is scheduled for 6pm.
