By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
SALINA, Kan. — McPherson and Buhler often have met in the past in substate play due to their proximity, and almost as often those games have been worthy of a state tournament audience.
This year, they got that opportunity and McPherson was able to win over Buhler for the first time in three tries this season 60-47 in a Class 4A boys quarterfinal.
The turning point in the game may have been a technical foul assessed at the 5:57 mark of the third quarter against Buhler's Grant Ricker following a made three. At that point, the game was 33-29 Buhler and both teams were trading buckets most of the time.
Following the technical, McPherson scored the next seven points, and though Buhler got it back to a tie at one point at 36-36, the Crusaders never led again.
McPherson was led by senior Seth Madron's 20 points, Cory Muehler had 17, including 10 in the third quarter and Owen Pyle had 12.
Ricker had 16 to lead the Crusaders, no other Buhler player was in double figures.
Buhler ends its season at 18-5, McPherson improves to 14-9 and advances to play the winner of Andale and Paola on Friday in Salina.