Pyle's 21 Points Not Enough as Bullpups Fall to St. James in MIT Second Round
Dominant second quarter lifts Thunder past McPherson
Despite a 21-point effort from Jett Pyle, the McPherson Bullpups couldn't overcome a dominant St. James Thunder squad, falling 78-51 in the second round of the McPherson Invitational Tournament Thursday morning at the Roundhouse.
The Bullpups hung tough early, even holding a two-point lead midway through the opening quarter. McPherson trailed by just one, 16-15, heading into the second period.
Then the Thunder took over.
St. James outscored McPherson 27-11 in a decisive second quarter, stretching their advantage to 43-26 by halftime. The Bullpups never recovered, as the Thunder led by as many as 30 in the fourth quarter.
Pyle led all McPherson scorers, connecting on 4-of-10 from beyond the arc and finishing 8-of-19 from the field. Eli Reasoner provided interior presence with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks, while Cole Cooper added 9 points.
The Bullpups struggled on the glass, as St. James held a commanding 43-23 rebounding advantage. The three-point shot also proved elusive — McPherson hit just 4-of-18 from deep (22.2%), including a 1-for-8 showing in the second half.
Luke Kolich paced St. James with 18 points and 9 assists, while Grady Ogden and Mathew Davis added 13 and 11 points respectively off the bench. Luke Bosse controlled the paint with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Due to winter weather postponing Saturday's final day of the tournament, McPherson will take on Lawrence Free State on Saturday at 9am, January 25th to wrap up MIT play.
Greg Loving
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