Coyotes pick up first KCAC win with 12-point decision over Bethany
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

LINDSBORG – Trey Sims led three Coyotes in double figures with 17 as Kansas Wesleyan knocked off Bethany 74-62 on Saturday night at Hahn Gym.

The win snaps a two-game skid for the Coyotes, who last won in Hahn Gym on November 17 in the KWU Classic with a 51-48 decision over Northwestern Oklahoma State.

The game started with a pair of free throws from Trey Sims as Bethany was called for a technical foul for excessive dunking during pregame warmups. Using the advantage, Wesleyan built a four-point lead, the last time at the 18:23 mark on a three from Mychal Henderson.

Zach Sullivan would tie things up at 7-all for Bethany with 16:55 left in the first half, but Wesleyan quickly answered with a three from Romero Hood. Dilton Gibbs would get Bethany within one and Sullivan would hit a pair of free throws, and score on a put back to give Bethany a three-point lead 13-10 with 15:36 left in the first.

Six lead changes later, Bethany would find themselves up three with 11:12 left in the first, when the Coyotes offense awoke and the defense stiffened. Tony Boone would nail a triple to tie it, sparking a 6-1 Coyote run to give Wesleyan a 29-24 lead with 7:21 to go.

C.J. Littlejohn would get Bethany back within one on a put back with 6:52 left when the Coyotes would open things up to end the half.

Sims would score with 4:35 to put Wesleyan up three, sparking a 14-2 Coyote run that would see the Coyotes lead 43-30 with 1:19 left in the first half. Neither team would score the rest of the way in the period.

Bethany would score the first points of the half, but Henderson would answer with a three, followed by another triple from Sims as Wesleyan took its biggest lead of the night to that point at 17, 49-32, with 16:56 left in the game.

The Coyotes would push the lead to 18 with 12:16 left on a thunderous dunk from Willie McCarty off a steal and pass from Boone, but Bethany would work its way back into it, cutting Wesleyan’s lead to 11 with 9:16 to go on a Littlejohn bucket.

Back-to-back threes from Sims and Henderson would push Wesleyan’s lead back out to 16, but Bethany was able to make a run at the Coyotes. A 10-0 run capped by a Justin Holcom bucket would get the Swedes back within six at 65-59, but Wesleyan again would answer with back-to-back triples, this time from DaRon Stafford and Boone to go back up by 12, 71-59, with 1:10 left.

Stafford would score the final Wesleyan points at the line with 37.5 seconds left to make it 74-61, and Holcom would hit one of two free throws with 23.9 left as the Coyotes would come away with the 74-62 win.

Wesleyan (3-5, 1-1) was led by Sims’ 17, while Hood added 15 and Henderson 12 as the Coyotes were 28-of-64 from the floor for 43.8 percent, including going 11-for-25 from behind the arc for 44 percent. Hood led the Coyotes with nine rebounds, while Mike Bartee had six.

Bethany (2-8, 0-2) was led by Sullivan with 13, and Holcom added 12 as the Swedes were 22-of-57 from the field for 38.6 percent. Sullivan also led the way with seven rebounds for Bethany, who outrebounded the Coyotes 38-34.

Wesleyan is back on the road for games at Southwestern on Thursday and McPherson on Saturday next week.

-- KWU SI --