Women’s Basketball drops KCAC opener 67-62 to Ottawa
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

OTTAWA – Kansas Wesleyan had two players record double-doubles, but Ottawa scored 43 second half points to lead the Braves to a 67-62 win in the KCAC opener for both teams on Thursday night at Wilson Fieldhouse.

The Coyotes led 31-24 at the half, behind ten points from Tierra Baldwin, but allowed Ottawa to rally for its first win of the season.

Wesleyan (2-5, 0-1) found itself in the hole early by as many as four points, 6-2, at the 16:34 mark in the first half. The Coyotes would rally, tying things up at 6-all with 15:04 to go on a bucket by Charressa Gray, but the Braves would open things up again with a 6-0 run to take a 12-6 lead on a three from Stef Randa.

Kaylaen Dittmer would score with 11:12 to go in the half, sparking a huge 19-2 run to give Wesleyan an 11-point advantage with 6:20 to on a Gray bucket.

Ottawa would answer as Rachel Brown would break the run, as the Braves would cut the lead to three with 4:56 to go on a pair of Brown free throws.

The Coyotes would jump back out to lead by as many as seven, the last time with just under a minute left in the first half on a bucket from Kelli Berg to make it 31-24, a score that would stick until the half.

Ottawa (1-8, 1-0) would open the half with a 14-2 run to lead by five, 38-33, with 15:38 left on a free throw from Hallie Adrian. Wesleyan would respond, using three consecutive three pointers from Berg, Dittmer and LaCole Wilkinson to take a 42-40 lead with 14:18 left.

Baldwin would give the Coyotes a four-point cushion with 11:08 left with free throws, and Dittmer would put the Coyotes up six just over a minute later off a pass from Wilkinson.

After a Emma Hartzler basket, Berg would again put the Coyotes up six, when Ottawa would rally.

Randa would hit a three with 8:11 to go, sparking a 13-6 Ottawa run that would give the Braves a 59-58 lead with 4:21 left on another Randa three.

Berg would answer back with a three to give Wesleyan the lead, but Brown would hit a game-tying rebound and put back with 2:10 left as Ottawa closed the game on a 9-1 to come away with the 67-62 win.

Ditmmer would score 19 to go along with 11 rebounds, while Baldwin added 16 points and 12 boards for the Coyotes, who shot 25-of-69 from the field for 36.2 percent. The Coyotes would outrebound the Braves 45-39. Wilkinson would have five assists to go along with seven points and seven rebounds.

Brown would lead the Braves with 21, while Randa added 15 and Hartzler had ten as Ottawa was 22-of-54 from the field for 40.7 percent, including a 48.5 percent effort in the second half.

KWU continues on the road on Saturday at rival Bethany with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. at Hahn Gymnasium in Lindsborg.

 -- KWU SI --