McPHERSON, Kan. (MacBulldogs.com) — The McPherson College Bulldogs had their best shooting day of the season Saturday (Dec. 16), shooting 50 percent from the field, but fell to the No. 23-ranked College of the Ozarks Bobcats 73-62 inside the Sport Center.
Gillian Rodgers led the Bulldogs (4-8, 0-6 KCAC) with 15 points and four rebounds. Joze’ Baker added 14 points, seven coming in the third quarter.
The Bobcats outrebounded MC 32-23 with a 13-2 advantage on the offensive end. Ozarks scored just nine second chance points.
The Bulldogs opened the game with cold shooting, connecting on just three of their 11 field goal attempts in the first frame. The Bobcats ballooned the lead to 29-16 midway through the second quarter, but a 10-2 burst by the Bulldogs trimmed the deficit to four at the break.
An 8-0 spurt by the Bulldogs gave them a 38-36 lead with 4:50 left in the third quarter, before an and-one by Baker made it a four-point Bulldog lead.
Back-to-back threes by Avery Arnold to close out the period, gave the Bobcats a 50-48 lead with ten minutes to play.
Arnold opened the fourth quarter the same way, knocking down a pair of threes on consecutive possessions, then Abbey Linville joined in with a triple of her own.
The Bulldogs showed no quit, using a 5-0 run to once again cut the lead to 59-58 with just under seven minutes to play. Baskets by Rodgers and Jayla Moore gave the Bulldogs a one point lead, but from there the Bobcats took control.
Arnold scored 18 points for the Bobcats, making six of her 11 three-point attempts, all coming in the second half. Kayley Frank added 17 points and nine assists.
The Bobcats were 3-for-16 from beyond the arc in the first half, and 8-for-15 after the break.
MC are back in action after the New Year, traveling to Leavenworth to take on Saint Mary.
