Coyotes drop home opener to Bellevue (Neb.) 65-46
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Kansas Wesleyan’s Men’s Basketball homecoming was not what the Coyotes had hoped for. After playing the first 13 games of the season on the road, the Coyotes dropped their home opener to No.14 ranked Bellevue (Neb.) 65-46 on Saturday evening at Muir Gym.

The Coyotes were again without three of its top players, including leading scorer Trey Sims, who remain out of the lineup.

Wesleyan took an early lead to start the game when Romero Hood converted a steal and layup with 19:10 to go in the first half. The Bruins would come back to tie it two and a half minutes later on a pair of John Gray free throws with 16:41 to go in the half.

The Coyotes then quickly found themselves on the downside of a 9-4 run by Bellevue that made it 11-6 with 13:05 to go in the first half on a Klaye Rowe bucket.

Wesleyan would fight back, tying it back up thanks to five straight points from the Coyotes, capped by a three-point play from Eric Hammond with 12:16 to go in the first half.

An 11-4 Bellevue run over the next three-plus minutes would give the Bruins a seven-point advantage at 22-15 with 8:28 left.

Mychal Henderson would score with 6:21 left to cut the Bruin lead to four at 24-20, but Bellevue would close the first half on a 12-2 run to take a 36-22 lead into the break.

Bellevue (15-2) would score first in the half to push its lead to 16-points, a level that would be matched again at 40-24 at the 16:28 mark of the second half on a bucket from Rowe.

The Coyotes would make a run at the Bruins, riding a 16-6 run capped by a Clay DuBois three with 7:53 left to get the lead down to six at 46-40. The Bruins would quickly answer back, scoring the next six points to push the lead back out to double figures capped by a layup from John Gray.

Wesleyan (4-8) could get no closer than 13 the rest of the way as the Bruins closed things out with a 9-3 run to come away with the 65-46 win.

The Coyotes struggled again to find their stroke with the ball, shooting a measly 15-of-68 from the field for 22.1 percent in the game, highlighted by a 6-for-33 effort in the second half for just 18.2 percent. Henderson led the Coyotes with 14 off the bench as the only Wesleyan player in double figures. Hood and Hammond each added eight for the Coyotes. DuBois, making his first start in a Wesleyan uniform, led the Coyotes with six rebounds, while Dane Baxa, Hood and Henderson each grabbed five boards. Wesleyan did force 22 Bellevue turnovers which led to 16 points.

Bellevue was 24-of-54 from the field for 44.4 percent and was led by Rowe with 15, while Gray added 13 for the Bruins. Chance Wallesen pulled down a game high nine rebounds, while Gray added eight as the Bruins easily outmatched the Coyotes on the boards 45-32. The Bruins were also perfect from the line, going 12-12 at the charity stripe.

The Coyotes are back in action on Thursday when the host Bethel College inside Muir Gym. The women’s game will tip at 6 p.m., with the men to follow at approximately 8 p.m. The Coyotes are then on the road at Saint Mary one week from tonight, before hosting back-to-back home contests beginning January 16 against Sterling, and two weeks from tonight against Friends.

-- KWU SI --