Peters scores 27 to lead Coyotes past Missouri Baptist
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Ascendra Peters goes for a layup in the first half of KWU's 78-73 win over Missouri Baptist on Saturday Purchase this picture and many others at Yote Photo

Ascendra Peters scored 27 points as the Coyotes held on for a 78-73 win over Missouri Baptist in the final game of the 2006 Coyote Thanksgiving Classic on Saturday at Muir Gym.

Peters just missed her career high of 28, set last year against Southwestern.

Wesleyan jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead on a Jentri Dixon basket with 18:12 left, and held off any kind of MBU rally until four straight Nikki Thompson free throws sparked a 5-1 Spartan run to put MBU ahead 12-11 with 13:15 left in the first half.

Peters scored to give the Coyotes the lead back at 13-12, but a Angela Cerrito three would put MBU back up two, 15-13, with 12:34 left. Another Peters bucket followed by a Madison Askins three gave the Coyotes an 18-15 lead with 11:47 left. The Coyotes would not surrender the lead the remainder of the game.

A Stephanie Studanski layup would get the Spartans within one at 18-17, but a Sarah Montoya three would spark a 16-7 Wesleyan run that would put the Coyotes up 34-24 with 6:18 left in the half.

Missouri Baptist (6-4) would cut the Wesleyan lead to three on a bucket by Alex Peoples with 4:51 left, but another 7-1 Coyote run would put Wesleyan up nine at 43-34 with 3:32 left in the half.

Erin McDermott would get MBU within four at 44-40 but back-to-back buckets by Jenny Menke around a pair of Cerrito free throws would give the Coyotes a 48-42 lead at halftime.

Wesleyan (3-6) would go on a 6-0 run to start the second half, taking its biggest lead at 54-42 with 18:32 left. The Coyotes would hold a double digit lead until the 13:47 mark when Cerrito would cut the Coyote lead to 58-50.

Missouri Baptist cut the lead to three at 63-60 on the heels of an 18-9 run with 9:14 left on a Stephanie Neely basket. Montoya would hit a three with 8:30 left to put the Coyotes back up six points, but the Spartans would hang close with the Coyotes until another Montoya three and a Peters bucket would put the Coyotes up eight at 73-65 with 4:43 left.

MBU would make one final charge on a 6-0 run to get within two at 73-71, but a Peters steal and layup with 2:09 left would put the Coyotes up four, and another Peters bucket with 40 seconds left would put Wesleyan up six at 77-71.

After a Thompson bucket, Kaylaen Dittmer would convert one of two free throws with 25 ticks left to seal the win for the Coyotes.

Peters led all scorers with her 27 points, while Montoya added 11 and Charressa Gray had 10 for the Coyotes, who shot 31-of-76 from the field for 40.8 percent. Dittmer led the Coyotes with 10 rebounds, while Peters had nine as both teams had 44 rebounds on the night.

Angela Cerrito led the Spartans with 17 points, while Neely had 16 and Thompson and Peoples had 13 each as Missouri Baptist was 24-of-63 shooting for 38.1 percent. Megan Brown led the Spartans with 14 rebounds.

The Coyotes open KCAC on Thursday at Ottawa, while Missouri Baptist hosts Webster College on Tuesday.

-- KWU SI --