Sterling too much for Lady Coyotes
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Sterling jumped out to an early 9-2 lead and never looked back as the no.13 ranked Lady Warriors cruised past the Kansas Wesleyan Lady Coyotes 80-56 on Saturday night at the Gleason Center in Sterling.

The Lady Coyotes hung with Sterling for the first 13:03 of the first half, only trailing by two, 19-17 with 6:57 to go in the first 20 minutes. Then another dry streak struck the KWU offense. Wesleyan was held scoreless for the remainder of the half until just before the halftime buzzer when Kaylaen Dittmer scored with four seconds left. It snapped a 16-0 Sterling run and sent the Lady Warriors into the intermission with a 16-point lead 35-19.

Hillary Stucky gave Sterling a 9-2 lead with 17:17 left, but the Lady Coyotes fought back, using a score by Ascendra Peters to get back within five. After a Rachel Jones three for Sterling, Peters would knock down a three to get Wesleyan back within five, and Jentri Dixon would hit a pair of free throws to get the Lady Coyotes within three before a pair of K.C. Bassett triples sandwiched around a basket by Wesleyan’s Charressa Gray would give Sterling an 18-11 lead with 10:35 left in the first half.

Peters would then spark a 6-1 Wesleyan run with a putback with 10:05 left as the Lady Coyotes got within two at 19-17, when the offense went dormant.

After the break, the Coyote would get back within 13 with 17:01 left on a bucket by Dixon, but Sterling would answer with a 15-6 run to take a 22-point lead with 13:22 left on a three by Ashley Gasper.

Dixon would get the Coyotes within 17 with 6:18 left, but Wesleyan could get no closer as Sterling pushed its lead to as many as 25, 76-51, with 3:33 left as the Lady Warriors cruised to their 12th consecutive win.

Dixon would lead the Lady Coyotes with 14, while Dittmer added 13 and Peters and Gray had nine each as Wesleyan (7-17, 3-11) was 22-of-57 from the floor for 38.6 percent. Peters would lead the Lady Coyotes with eight rebounds, while Gray had seven.

Bassett led Sterling (21-3, 13-1) with 15, while Chandell Goodwin pitched in 13 and Stucky had 10 as the Lady Warriors shot 51.9 percent for the game, including a 16-of-26 effort in the second half (61.5 percent). Goodwin would lead the Lady Warriors with seven rebounds while Ashley Kraft and Stucky added six each as Sterling outrebounded Wesleyan 40-34. Bassett also had seven assists to lead Sterling.

The Coyotes complete the home portion of the regular season schedule with games against Tabor on Thursday and Bethel on Saturday at Muir Gym, before wrapping up the regular season on the road at McPherson on February 15, and at Saint Mary on February 17.

-- KWU SI --