The McPherson Bullpups are a far cry from their stature of last season, where they captured the Class 5A state basketball championship in March.
Dropping down to 4A because of lowered enrollment, McPherson, losing the likes of standouts Christian Ulsaker and Jack Pyle, isn’t the powerhouse it was last season.
Yet, the Bullpups find themselves 5-1 on the 2011-12 campaign after beating Great Bend 56-37 Tuesday night at Panther Fieldhouse in the host team’s home opener.
Great Bend (1-5) is nowhere near where it wants or needs to be, although it showed some signs of improved scoring in the non-conference match-up.
“It helped having both Matt (Marshall, point guard) and Jace (Bowman, shooting guard) back and getting some guys in more comfortable spots,” Great Bend head coach Chris Battin said. “It did provide more of a rhythm, and Jace, obviously, provided a little bit of scoring for us and that helps.”
Bowman, who gives the Panthers an added dimension as a perimeter threat, finished with a team-high 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. McPherson was led in scoring by Jordan Hart with 16 points and teammate Cody Cape added 15.
Marshall had missed the previous four games with a pulled hamstring while Bowman, the team’s leading scorer last season, was playing his first game of the season after suffering a torn meniscus in his knee during football season.
“He did a wonderful job for us and stepped up and hit some shots,” Battin said of Bowman. “It was a good effort, but we made too many mistakes and good teams like McPherson make you pay for your mistakes and they obviously made us pay. We just have to keep competing.”
Leading 13-9 after one quarter, McPherson scored five quick points during the opening 34 seconds of the second period, prompting Battin to call a 30-second timeout to regroup.
It was 20-9 McPherson before Chad Touslee scored inside and Bowman knocked down a jump shot from the wing to make it 20-13 with six minutes left before halftime.
Bowman added a 10-foot bank shot to pull GBHS within 22-15, but McPherson closed the half with a flourish, an 11-4 run to go up 33-19 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Bowman nailed 3-pointers on consecutive trips, his second pulling the Panthers with 35-27. They also trailed 37-29 after Wyatt Bayless’ driving layup with 6:05 left in the third quarter.
But GBHS then turned the ball over on three straight possessions, with McPherson capitalizing with three straight baskets to make it 43-29.
It was 49-31 after three quarters, and then the Panthers were held to only six points during the final eight minutes.
While their perimeter game was enhanced, Great Bend’s 31 turnovers were an eyesore that needs to be addressed.
“We’ve got to find ways to take better care of the ball,” Battin deadpanned. “We’ve got to value possessions better and we just made too many mistakes and you’re not going to beat a McPherson team when you turn it over that many times.”

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
At Great Bend
Panther Fieldhouse

BOYS

Tuesday

McPherson 56, Great Bend 37
McPHERSON  (5-1)
     Marcus Houghton 0 0-1 0, Luke Reber 2 0-0 4, Chase Miller 2 0-2 4, Peter Horton 0 0-0 0, Kyler Kinnamon 1 0-0 3, Jordan Hart 6 3-4 16, Alex Bahr 0 0-0 0, Ryan Horton 0 0-0 0, Travell Robinson 3 0-3 6, James Mowery 1 0-0 2, Cody Cape 6 3-4 15, Keaton Sorenson 3 0-0 6. Totals 24 6-14 56.
GREAT BEND (0-6)
     Connor Sell 1 1-2 3, Mauricio Uribe 0 2-2 2, Matt Marshall 1 0-2 2, Chad Touslee 3 0-1 6, Brock Ibarra 0 0-0 0, Bryce Beck 1 0-0 2, Jace Bowman 5 0-0 12, Ethan Henderson 2 0-2 4, Blaise Cain 1 0-0 2, Wyatt Bayless 1 2-2 4. Totals 15 5-11 37.
McPherson                        13  20  16   7  —  56      
Great Bend                         9   10  12   6  —  37
    Three-point goals — Great Bend 2 (Bowman); McPherson 2 (Kinnamon, Hart).