Sterling knocks off Coyotes 69-55
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

STERLING – Kansas Wesleyan shot just 28.6 percent from the field, while Sterling shot 49 percent as the Warriors knocked off the Coyotes 69-55 on Saturday night at the Gleason Center.

The loss drops the Coyotes two games behind conference leading Ottawa, and Sterling jumps into a tie for second place with two games remaining the regular season.

Romero Hood’s three with 16:51 to go in the first half put the Coyotes up 8-4, but nine straight from Sterling capped by a Dallas Schnurr triple with 13:07 left put the Warriors up five at 13-8.

Wesleyan would answer back, using a Trey Sims three and a Hood score to tie things back up at 13-all with 11:13 left.

After both teams traded baskets, Jonathan Woods would ignite an 11-2 run to give Sterling a nine-point lead with 4:21 left. The Coyotes would close the half on an 8-2 swing to only be down three, 31-28 at the break.

Woods would put the Warriors up 10, 40-30, with 15 minutes to go in the second half, capping a 9-2 run. The Coyotes would battle back, getting as close as two, 46-44, with 7:54 to go on a stick back from Mychal Henderson.

Chad Friess got Sterling back up by six, 50-44, with 7:15 to go, as both teams traded scores back and forth until a bucket from Friess pushed Sterling’s lead back out to ten with 1:48 to go.

Wesleyan (13-12, 11-5) could get no closer than eight the rest of the way as Sterling scored the final six points of the night to get the 69-55 win.

Sims led the Coyotes with 16 points, while Eric Hammond dropped in 13 off the bench for Wesleyan. Hammond also led the way with six rebounds.

Sterling (16-10, 11-5) had three players in double figures led by Shane Stover with 15, while Woods added 12 and Cody Brazelton had ten as the Warriors shot 49 percent from the field (25-of-51), including a 60 percent effort on the second half. Brazelton and Woods each had 11 rebounds as the Warriors crushed the Coyotes 40-29 on the boards.

Wesleyan heads into the final week of the regular season next week at Friends on Thursday and hosting Tabor in the season finale on next Saturday.

-- KWU SI --