Cold shooting night allows Bethany to get past Coyote women
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

LINDSBORG – Kansas Wesleyan shot just 28.6 percent from the field, while Bethany shot nearly 50 percent as the Swedes knocked off the Coyotes 77-67 in KCAC Women’s action on Saturday night at Hahn Gym.

Wesleyan had another stellar effort from post player Tierra Baldwin, who had 13 points and 11 rebounds in just 16 minutes of playing time, but the Coyotes as a whole struggled to find the basket all night.

Roni Whitman put Bethany ahead 2-0 with 19:33 to go in the first half. It was a lead the Swedes would not relinquish for the entire game.

Emily Luckeroth would tie things at 4-all on a pass from Kaylaen Dittmer with 16:56 to go, but Megan Ziegel would answer for Bethany with a three to put the Swedes up 7-3.

Bethany would push its lead out to as many as five, the last time being at the 13:41 mark on a bucket from Shalice Tommerup, but Wesleyan would fight back, tying things up two minutes later on a bucket from Luckeroth.

After a Bethany basket, Kelli Berg would put back a missed Luckeroth three to tie it again with 10:59 left.

Whitman would score again for Bethany with 10:17 left in the half, sparking a 6-0 run to put the Swedes up six with 7:56 left.

A Luckeroth bucket would get Wesleyan back within two with 5:54 left in the first, but Cathy Wade would answer with a three for the Swedes, sparking a 12-4 run that pushed Bethany out to a 35-25 lead with 2:51 left.

The Coyotes would get back in it just before the half. Jennie Vopat would hit a pair of free throws sparking a 9-1 Wesleyan run to end the first. The Coyotes cut it to two at 36-34 when LaCole Wilkinson took a pass from Charressa Gray off a rebound and dribbled the length of the floor and laid it in just before the buzzer sounded.

Bethany would score first in the second half, and eventually increase its lead back to ten on a Whitman three with 13:16 to go in the game. After Wesleyan would get back within seven on a layup from Luckeroth, Wade would hit another three to spark a 6-0 Swedish run to put Bethany up 60-47 with 10:04 left.

The Swedes would again be up 13 with 7:47 to go when Wesleyan would get back into the game. Luckeroth would hit one of two free throws with 5:09 left to cap a 9-1 Wesleyan run that saw Bethany’s lead get cut to five, 65-60. Bethany would answer back with five straight points to take a ten-point advantage with 2:30 left on a pair of Whitman free throws.

Berg would get Wesleyan as close as six with 1:43 left, but Bethany was able to hold on and pick up the 77-67 win.

Wesleyan (2-6, 0-2) was led by Luckeroth with 20 points, while Baldwin had 13 and Berg added nine. The Coyotes were a frosty 20-for-70 from the field for 28.6 percent, and struggled mightily from behind the arc, going just 2-of-21 for 9.5 percent. The Coyotes did shoot 40 free throws in the contest, scoring 25 points at the line. Baldwin and Gray each had 11 rebounds for the Coyotes, while Berg added eight as the Coyotes dominated the rebounding, 54-39.

Bethany (6-3, 2-0) was led by Wade with 16, while Whitman added 15 as the Swedes were 29-of-59 from the floor for 49.2 percent, including a 52 percent effort in the second half. Whitman led the Swedes with six rebounds, while Shalice Tommerup had five blocks.

Kansas Wesleyan wraps up the fall semester of KCAC play next week with games at Southwestern on Thursday and at McPherson on Saturday. The Coyotes finally open the home portion of their schedule on December 15, when Mount Marty (S.D.) comes to Salina, for a 2 p.m. tipoff at Muir Gym.

-- KWU SI --