Baron and Sims lead Coyotes past Swedes 64-41
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Jeff Baron scores a bucket during the first half of the Coyotes' 64-41 win over Bethany.

Jeff Baron and Trey Sims combined for 38 of Kansas Wesleyan’s 64 points as the Coyotes cruised past an overmatched Bethany Swede team 64-41 on Saturday night at Muir Gym.

Anthony Smith, who missed Thursday’s game with an ankle injury, got Wesleyan on the board with 18:40 left, but Thad Pera answered for the Swedes, tying things up at 2-all at the 15:40 mark.

Bethany (9-11, 3-8) would briefly lead 6-4 with 13:55 left on a layup by Brad Bietau, before Tony Boone would tie things up and Baron would hit a three to give the Coyotes a 9-6 lead with 11:31 left. Ryan Lowry would get Bethany within one at 9-8, before the Coyotes would take a five-point lead 16-11 with 8:30 left on an old-fashioned three point play by Boone.

Bethany would fight back, tying things up at 17 with 3:41 left on a bucket by Brandon Krinhop, and would regain the lead on a Kelby Brown basket with 3:20 left, before Sims would score to tie things up, then stole the inbound pass, and laid it in to give the Coyotes a 21-19 lead with 2:41 left.

The Swedes would get as close as one with 2:18 left on a free throw by Bietau, but the Coyotes would race out to a six-point halftime lead, 28-22, as Josh Berry completed a three-point play just before the half.

Austan Wyatt would get Bethany as close as three with 15:52 left, before the Coyotes would turn on the defensive afterburners, igniting a 10-2 run that saw the Coyotes lead 42-31 with 12:44 left. Bethany would turn the ball over four consecutive possessions during the run.

Zack Sullivan would get Bethany within nine with 11:10 left, but the Coyotes would put together another 12-1 run, fueled by six turnovers on seven Bethany possessions as the Coyotes would lead 54-34 with 6:36 left.

Wesleyan (18-3, 11-1) would take its biggest lead of the night at 23 with 5:06 left on a pair of Marcus Faubion free throws.

The Coyotes had a chance to hold the Swedes under 40 points, but Wyatt would score with 1:21 left to get the Swedes within 21 at 62-41. Robert Brown would cap the scoring with 1:04 left as the Coyotes cruised to the 64-41 win.

Baron would lead the way for the Coyotes with 20 on 7-of-10 shooting, while Sims added 18 for Wesleyan, who shot 23-of-45 from the field for 51.1 percent, including a 13-of-23 effort in the second half. Faubion would lead the Coyotes with five rebounds, while Cameron Jackson and Dupre Richardson would pull down four apiece as the Coyotes outrebounded the Swedes 27-24. The Coyotes also sizzled from the line, going 16-of-20 for 80 percent. Faubion would also lead the Coyotes with five steals, in just 19 minutes of action, as the Coyotes had 17 steals on 23 Bethany turnovers.

For the second straight night, no player would score in double figures for a KWU opponent as the Swedes were led by Krinhop with eight, and Sullivan would add seven. The Swedes were 17-of-43 from the field for 39.5 percent. Krinhop would also lead the Swedes with six rebounds. Bethany turned the ball over 23 times, as Marcus Wells and Pera each had five.

The Coyotes are back in action on Thursday, as they face Friends. The Falcons are the only team to beat the Coyotes in KCAC play this season, as they knocked off the Coyotes 53-47 on December 9 in Wichita.

-- KWU SI --