Brandon Avedon and Evens Appolon combined for 37 points and 16 rebounds, but Kansas Wesleyan couldn't overcome its turnovers and McPherson's balanced scoring attack.
Six Bulldogs scored in double figures and 15 KWU turnovers led to 18 McPherson points in an 84-72 Kansas Conference loss inside Mabee Arena on Wednesday night.
Wesleyan fell to 6-10 overall, 4-7 in the KCAC and lost four consecutive games. McPherson improved to 12-5 and 8-3.
The Coyotes trailed 35-32 at intermission after scoring the last seven points of the half. McPherson, though, opened the second half with a 12-2 run and led 47-34. Down 60-53 with 9 minutes left, McPherson scored seven unanswered points and led 67-53 with 6:50 remaining.
KWU responded with an 11-3 run and trailed 70-64 with just under four minutes left. Matthew Garber's 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining narrowed the deficit to 75-69 but McPherson closed it out by scoring the next nine.
"I think we missed way too many layups," coach Jordan Murdock said on the postgame radio show. "We were 28 of 70 (shooting), 40 percent, and a lot of those (misses) were at the rim, especially in the first half. When that happens, they end up winning the game, so we've got to do a better job. It's becoming a recurring theme, and we've got to step up."
Wyatt Powell added nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal off the bench for KWU. The Coyotes were 8 of 28 from long range and 8 of 15 at the free throw line.
McPherson shot 35 of 67 for the game (52 percent), 20 of 34 in the second half (59 percent) and was 8 of 18 from the 3-point line for the game. The Bulldogs scored 46 points in the paint compared to KWU's 34.
The six McPherson players in double figures scored between 10 and 12 points.
The Coyotes won the rebounding battle 46-34 and had 26 second chance points to the Bulldogs' 13 but the turnovers were pivotal.
"Every team that we play they're under 12 (turnovers) for the game and we've got 15 to 20 so we've got to clean that up," Murdock said.