Photo by Kami Wood
McPherson, Kan. – The Central Christian College men's basketball team moved their season record back to .500 on Thursday night with a win at home over the Barclay College Bears 87-69.

The first half is one the Tigers would like to forget, as they struggled to get anything going against the Bears on either end of the floor. The Bears jumped out to a quick 5-0 advantage, and held the lead for 19 minutes of the first half. The Tigers didn't take their first lead in the game until Jevarrick Butler finished off the half with a monster dunk on a fast break as the clock hit zeros. At the intermission, the Tigers led 39-37.

In the second half the Tigers righted the ship, and were much more consistent offensively and defensively. The Tigers shot 55% from the floor in the second half while holding the Bears to 37%. The Tigers never trailed in the second frame, quickly increasing their lead to double digits at the 15:59 mark. The largest lead for the Tigers was 22 at the 11:20 mark, but hovered around 16 points the majority of the half.

In the end, the Tigers settled for a 18 point victory, 87-69, led by Chris Whitten, who led all scorers with 28 points.

Key Statistic

The Tigers were dominant inside the paint, outscoring the Bears 40 to 24, and defensively swatting 8 shots by Barclay.

By the Numbers

For the game, the Tigers finished by making 31 of 64 (48%) of their attempts from the floor.

From deep they were 7 of 23 (30%)

At the free throw line, the Tigers were 18 of 24 (75%).

Four Tigers finished the game in double figures, and Butler finished with a double double, 16 points and 12 rebounds.

The Tigers won the turnover battle 11 to 14, and outrebounded the Bears 39 to 37.

Tiger Leaders

Points: Chris Whitten (28)
Rebounds: Jevarrick Butler (12)        
Assists: Andre Shelby (4)
Steals: Chris Whitten (3)
Blocks: Andre Shelby (4)
                                                                                                         
Coaches Quote:

"I thought we came out and were flat, not a lot of energy and enthusiasm.  Some nights offensively, we are going to have slow starts and miss shots.  We cannot lack effort or energy on the defensive side and I felt the first half, we did.  The positive is we finished well the last couple minutes of the half and were able to carry some momentum into the break.  The beginning of the second half is where I felt we won the game, our guys had a different focus and energy on the defensive side of the ball and we were able to convert that energy into some transition opportunities on offense.  We found a way to win on a night we didn't necessarily play our best basketball.  Still a lot of room for growth." – Coach Romero

Next Up
 
The Tigers (4-4, 1-1), return to Sooner Athletic Conference action on Saturday, hosting the University of North Texas at Dallas Jaguars in a 3:45 match-up.