MC women stop Friends, 61-40

by STEVE SELL, Sentinel Sports Editor

McPherson College's women have reached the .500 mark in KCAC play and now their goal is to get to .500 for the season.

By virtue of a surprisingly easy 61-40 victory Saturday over Friends -- which took No. 2 Sterling into triple overtime two nights before -- the Bulldogs are now 3-3 in the KCAC.

And should they win tonight against Central Christian College in a 5:30 game at the Sport Center and then knock off last-place Kansas Wesleyan on Thursday, they would be at .500 for the season.

"We want to get to 8-8 and then go from there," said Mac coach Mel Wright, whose team simply stifled Friends' offense the entire night. "The key to the game tonight was defense. It was the best defensive game we've played all year."

Mac more than doubled Friends in the first half, 36-19, and the Falcons finished the game making just 14 of 51 shots.

Offensively, the Bulldogs' All-KCAC center Erica Alvarez finally had a breakout game with 22 points and 11 rebounds. She's been getting special treatment from opposing defenses this year, but on this night she was 11 of 16 from the field.

"Erica was really in a good rhythm tonight," Wright said. "She did a nice job."

Sharla Odhams was nothing short of sensational with 17 points, 8 steals and 6 rebounds. Kristen Welk led Friends with 14 points.

Mac will be trying to duplicate a 78-57 win over Central Christian tonight. The Lady Tigers have been reduced to seven players due to attrition.

Mac (61) -- Odhams 8 0-0 17; Blose 3 0-0 8; Horner 1 0-0 2; Richardson 2 0-0 5; Jackson 0 2-2 2; Gremmer 1 0-0 2; Wilder 1 0-0 3; Alvarez 11 0-0 22. Totals -- 27 2-2 61. 3-pointers -- Blose 2, Richardson 1, Wilder 1, Odhams 1.

Friends (40) -- Bell 3 4-4 12; Porter 0 2-2 2; Kokojan 2 0-0 6; Buchanan 1 0-0 2; Urban 2 0-0 4; Welk 6 2-4 14. Totals -- 14 8-10 40. 3-pointers -- Bell 2, Kokojan 2.