Mac women avenge loss
By STEVE SELL, Sentinel Sports Editor
It was a victory McPherson College's women had to have.
The Bulldogs, who have four tough KCAC basketball games left before Christmas with three of them on the road, prepared for that brutal stretch Tuesday by closing out the preseason portion of the schedule with a 75-62 victory over York College.
That was a 28-point turnaround from Nov. 19 when the Panthers pinned a 15-point loss on the Bulldogs.
Mac now will take a 3-4 record to Lindsborg Thursday against nationally ranked Bethany, whose coaches were in attendance.
What they saw was a better effort by the Bulldogs than in recent games.
"We did a better job of taking care of the basketball," Mac coach Mel Wright said. "We still had too many turnovers in the first half (13), but we did much better in the second half (5)."
The Bulldogs led 32-16 late in the first half before the Panthers rattled off an 8-0 sizz to cut it to 32-24. York continued to hang tough in the second half, before a couple of steals by Sharla Odhams turned the tide.
The Bulldogs had nice balance, led by Odhams with 16 points. Amber Jackson had her best game of the year with 14, while the Bulldogs welcomed back Amy Gremmer, who played her first game after sitting out with an injury. She had 13 points and 4 rebounds.
"Amy does a good job of staying with the offense and she gives us some toughness inside," Wright said.
Crystal Richardson scored 12 and Erica Alvarez had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Ginger Gatliff scored 15 to lead York.
Mac (75) -- Odhams 7 2-3 16; Higgins 0 1-2 1; Blose 2 0-0 4; Richardson 3 5-6 12; Jackson 5 0-0 14; Gremmer 5 2-2 13; Alvarez 4 2-2 10; Garcia 2 1-2 5. Totals -- 28 13-17 75. 3-pointers -- Jackson 4, Richardson 1, Gremmer 1.
York (62) -- Pettit 1 0-0 3; Schultz 2 0-0 5; Keller 1 0-0 2; Gatliff 4 3-4 15; Wallace 2 2-2 8; Spickelmier 2 4-4 8; Nething 2 0-0 6; Martin 5 0-0 12; Gaer 1 1-2 3. Totals -- 20 10-12 62. 3-points -- Gatliff 4, Wallace 2, Nething 2, Martin 2, Pettit 1, Schultz 1.