Coyote women hold off Bethel for 66-63 win
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

NORTH NEWTON -- Kansas Wesleyan saw a 16-point second half advantage get cut to one with 3:22 left, but the Coyotes were able to hold off Bethel for a 66-63 win on Saturday night at Thresher Gym.

The win moves the Coyotes into fifth place all alone in the KCAC standings at 7-7 in conference play, 10-14 overall. Wesleyan is one game behind McPherson, but leads Friends and Bethany by two games.

Angela Wood gave Bethel its only lead of the game with a three with 18:56 to go in the first half at 3-2, but three free throws from Emily Luckeroth put the Coyotes ahead 5-3, giving them a lead they would not relinquish.

LaCole Wilkinson’s score with 17:28 to go gave Wesleyan a four-point lead at 7-3. Bethel would get within two again at 9-7 with 15:51 to go on a pair of Hannah Blackburn free throws before Wesleyan would blow things open.

Jennie Vopat’s score got the Coyote offense going as they outscored the Threshers 15-7 over the next six-plus minutes to take a 24-14 lead with 9:08 to go in the first half on a Tierra Baldwin bucket.

Bethel (10-13, 4-10) answered back, cutting Wesleyan’s lead to just one at 26-25 with 4:27 to go in the first half thanks to an 11-2 run that featured back-to-back threes from Wood and Rachel Bachman.

Wilkinson’s score with 2:07 left in the half raised Wesleyan’s lead back up to five, but Bethel got within one with 1:31 left on free throws from Tara Goerzen. The Coyotes would take a 34-29 lead into the break as Luckeroth would score the final four points of the half.

Wesleyan opened the second half with an 11-0 run to take its biggest lead of the night at 16 on a Baldwin bucket with 15:46 to go in the game. Bethel had four turnovers and missed four shots fueling the Wesleyan surge.

The Coyotes would lead by 14, 50-36, with 12:10 to go when Bethel would start to work its way back into the game. Holly Anthony’s score with 8:18 to go cut the Coyote lead to five, 52-47, but five quick points from the Coyotes would push the lead back up to ten with 7:13 left on a put back from Luckeroth.

That’s when Bethel made its final charge. A 9-0 run from the Threshers over the next four minutes got them within one with 3:22 left on Blackburn’s free throws.

A steal and lay up from Wilkinson with 2:45 to go put the Coyotes up five, and her free throw with 10 seconds left would seal the deal as Luckeroth’s tie up gave the ball back to the Coyotes for them to run out the clock for the 66-63 win.
Wilkinson’s 17 led the Coyotes, while Luckeroth added 16, Khristy Santee had 13 and Baldwin recorded her fifth straight double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds as the Coyotes were 22-of-59 from the field for 37.3 percent, despite going 0-for-14 from three point range. Charressa Gray had nine rebounds to help the Coyotes nudge the Threshers on the boards 37-36. Kaylaen Dittmer had six steals and three assists.

Blackburn led Bethel with 17, while Hiebert had 15 as the Threshers were 18-of-41 from the field for 43.9 percent which included a 12-for-20 effort in the second half. Hiebert had nine rebounds and Blackburn eight to lead Bethel.

The Coyotes host Saint Mary on Thursday before heading on the road Saturday at Sterling.

-- KWU SI --