Basketball teams open KCAC play this week
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Emily Luckeroth leads the KWU women at 13.3 points per game

Trey Sims leads the Coyote men in scoring at 18 points per game

Kansas Wesleyan kicks off the conference season in basketball this week with games at Ottawa on Thursday and at Bethany on Saturday.

The Bethany game was originally scheduled to be played in Salina, but ongoing construction to the Student Activities Center forced the change of location. The Swedes will come to Salina on January 31.

Both Kansas Wesleyan teams are 2-4 heading into the start of KCAC play.

The Coyote men opened the season with a 93-89 overtime win over No.12 ranked University of Sioux Falls at the Famous Dave’s USF Classic in Sioux Falls, S.D., but followed the opening win with three straight losses to Morningside (Iowa), Sioux Falls, and a 12-point decision to NAIA Division I powerhouse Rogers State (Okla.).

The Coyotes then picked up a 51-48 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State in the second game of the KWU Classic, which was held in Lindsborg at Bethany College.

Wesleyan’s last game that counted in the standings was on November 20 against No.17 ranked Bellevue (Neb.) at the Lozier Athletic Center in Bellevue, Neb. Wesleyan led by four with 2:38 left, but a 9-0 run by the Bruins would give Bellevue the 59-55 win.

The Coyotes just wrapped up two exhibition contests last weekend against perennial NCAA Division II powerhouses Missouri Western and Washburn (Kan.) at the AM580 WIBW / Premier Mortgage Classic in Topeka, dropping both contests.

Henderson

Hood

Trey Sims (6-1, G, Jr., Tulsa, Okla. / Sterling (Kan.)) leads the Coyotes in scoring, averaging 18 points per game in Wesleyan’s six games so far this season. Mychal Henderson (6-6, F, Jr., Woodbridge, Va. / Chandler-Gilbert CC (Ariz.)) chips in ten a game for the Coyotes.

As a team, the Coyotes are shooting just over 40 percent from the field, going 114-of-359. Romero Hood leads the way, shooting 59 percent overall.

Henderson leads the Coyotes on the boards, averaging 4.33, while Sims is averaging 3.5 a game so far this season. As a team the Coyotes are averaging only 30 rebounds a game, while allowing 39.2 per game to the opponents.

Wesleyan’s women opened the season with a loss to No.14 ranked Benedictine in the Raven’s Classic on November 2. The Coyotes then rallied for a 72-65 win over Avila University the following day.

Three straight losses, including a heartbreaking one-point loss to Baker in the KWU Classic, would follow before the Coyotes would pick up a five-point win over Doane (Neb.) in the Hastings Classic would give the Coyotes a 2-4 record heading into KCAC play.

Dittmer

Vopat

Emily Luckeroth (5-9, G, Jr., Palm Desert, Calif. / Irvine Valley CC (Calif.)) leads the Coyotes in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game in six games so far this season. Kaylaen Dittmer (5-9, G, Jr., Tribune, Kan. / Greeley County HS) is also averaging in double figures at 10.2 per game. 

Dittmer leads the way on the boards, averaging 5.7 per game, while Jennie Vopat (6-0, F, Jr., Great Bend, Kan. / Hutchinson CC (Kan.)) adds five per game. Dittmer leads with 3.5 assists per game, while LaCole Wilkinson (5-3, G, Fr., Stewartsville, Mo. / East Buchanan HS) adds 3.3 assists per game.

Wilkinson

As a team, the Coyotes are 137-of-322 from the field for 41.3 percent, led by Vopat at 48.4 percent. The Coyotes are sizzling from behind the arc, going 45-of-116 for 38.8 percent.

Tipoff for the Ottawa games is at 6:00 p.m. for the women, followed by the men at about 8:00 on Thursday. Saturday’s tip for the women is slated for 5:00, with the men to follow at about 7:00.

For more information about Kansas Wesleyan basketball, and Coyote Athletics overall, visit the Athletics website at www.kwu.edu/athletics.

-- KWU SI --