McPherson, Kan. - Southwestern College men's basketball was unable to overcome a quick start by McPherson College on Saturday night, losing their third consecutive game, 71-84.

This loss drops #23 Southwestern to 19-6 overall and 9-5 in KCAC play.  Southwestern is alone in third place with a one game lead over fourth place with only four games to play.

The Builders played a very active game but unfortunately McPherson would go 6-12 from the three point arc in the first half to grab a 15 point lead at halftime, 31-46.  McPherson made good use of the clock in the second half, winding down the shot clock on multiple possessions and still finding good looks late in the possession on pick and roll plays.  Southwestern put on the press for the last seven minutes but was unable to close the gap into single digits.

Southwestern was lead by Chris Nelson and Ethan Randolph who finished with 15 and 14 points respectively.  Tyler Shirley finished with 11 points on 4-6 shooting in 18 minutes.

Next up for Southwestern is a matchup against Kansas Wesleyan on Thursday in Salina, Kansas. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. (CST). Remember, if for some reason you cannot attend the game; please join Curt Caden as he will be broadcasting live via the Builder Sports Radio Network. To listen to this feed, click on the listen live button on the right side of the athletics home page at www.buildersports.com.