Lady Coyotes snap three game skid with 51-48 win over Bethel
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Ascendra Peters pulls down a rebound in the first half of KWU's 51-48 win over Bethel

Kansas Wesleyan honored its three seniors in women’s basketball in their final regular season home game on Saturday night. The Lady Coyotes roared back from a ten point halftime deficit to beat the Bethel Threshers 51-48.

Ascendra Peters hit a three to open the scoring for the Lady Coyotes, but it was all Bethel over the next six-plus minutes as Wesleyan was held scoreless, and found themselves down 11-3 until Jenn Lee hit a lay-up with 13:48 left to get the Lady Coyotes back within six. Lee would score again on a pass from Kaylaen Dittmer to get Wesleyan within four with 13:14 to go.

Hannah Blackburn, who scored nine of Bethel’s first 13 points, would start another 14-6 Bethel run, that saw the Threshers take a 12-point lead, 25-13 with 3:33 to go in the first half. Both teams would not score until right at the half when Peters knocked down a shot as time expired to get the Lady Coyotes within ten at 25-15.

Blackburn gave Bethel another 12-point advantage coming out of the halftime break, but Peters hit her second three of the night with 18:41 to go, sparking a 19-6 Wesleyan run over the next eight minutes, that saw the Lady Coyotes take their first lead since early in the first half at 34-33 with 10:32 left.

Wesleyan would extend its run to 27-8, taking a seven-point lead, 42-35 with 7:13 to go on a three by Dittmer.

Bethel would come charging back, putting together a 13-7 run to get back within one with just under a minute left at 49-48. Free throws were big for the Lady Coyotes at the end, as Khristy Santee put Wesleyan back up by two with 42 seconds left, and Charressa Gray gave Wesleyan a three point advantage with 10 seconds left.

Following a Wesleyan timeout, Kaleigh Snyder’s three to tie was an airball and rebounded by Peters as time expired giving the Lady Coyotes the 51-48 win over Bethel.

Peters led Wesleyan (8-18, 4-12) with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Gray was the only other Lady Coyote in double figures with ten. Wesleyan struggled again shooting, going 15-of-53 from the floor for 28.3 percent, but improved greatly in the second half, connecting on 34.5 percent of its shots in the period. Dixon added eight rebounds, while Dittmer had five assists to lead the Lady Coyotes.

Blackburn led Bethel (7-18, 4-12) with 17 points, but only scored six in the second half after having 11 in the first half. Samantha Naylor added 13 for Bethel as they shot 15-of-49 from the floor for 30.6 percent. Naylor led Bethel with nine rebounds, while Blackburn had eight and Dana Rathbun added seven as Bethel edged KWU on the boards 42-36.

KWU wraps up the regular season next week with two road games at McPherson on Thursday and at Saint Mary on Saturday.

-- KWU SI --