Furious KWU rally comes up just short in double overtime
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

WINFIELD – Kansas Wesleyan’s Women’s Basketball team rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half, only to fall just short, dropping a 72-71 decision to Southwestern on Thursday night at Stewart Fieldhouse.

Tierra Baldwin pushed Wesleyan out to an early 4-0 lead with a pair of buckets, but the Lady ‘Builders would rally, grabbing their first lead of the game at the 15:59 mark on a three-point play from Jenna Wilson.

Southwestern would push its lead to as many as four, on a Tylar Hartfield bucket with 14:42 left.

LaCole Wilkinson’s three would get Wesleyan back within one at 9-8, but Courtney Gandy would answer for Southwestern, as the Lady ‘Builders would use an 11-2 run to take a 20-10 lead on a three from Kara Beal.

The Coyotes would not give in, and would answer back with a 7-0 run of their own to get back within three at 20-17 with 8:20 left on a bucket from Baldwin.

Southwestern would quietly answer back, outscoring the Coyotes 15-3 over the next five minutes to take a 12-point lead, 35-23, with 3:16 left.

Both teams would trade buckets back and forth until Southwestern would use a pair of free throws from Krystal Tyree to take a 13-point lead into the break at 41-28.

Baldwin would again score with 18:05 left to get Wesleyan within 11 at 43-32, but Southwestern would push its lead to the biggest of the night, a 17-point advantage at 51-34 with 12:01 left on Beal bucket.

That’s when Wesleyan made its push to force overtime. Kaylaen Dittmer would knock down back to back triples and Kelli Berg would score to get the lead back into single digits at 51-42 with 9:07 left. Wesleyan would cut the lead to seven on another bucket from Berg after an Emily Luckeroth steal and pass.

The KWU run would grow to 22-4 when Dittmer would convert a lay up to put the Coyotes back up 56-55 with 4:44 left.

Beal would give Southwestern a 57-56 left on a controversial play with 4:37 left. Following a timeout by the Lady ‘Builders, the Coyotes only had four players on the floor. The officials would blow the play dead, and Charressa Gray would report into the game and enter, but the officials ruled it an illegal substitution, and a technical foul.

Kinsey Colclasure would out Southwestern up 60-58 with a three with 3:43 left, but the Lady ‘Builders would not score for the remainder of regulation.

Berg would tie things up with 1:44 left but neither team could convert on its final chances, sending the game into overtime.

Colclasure put Southwestern up 62-60 in the first extra session, but Dittmer would answer back with 2:45 left to tie it up again.

Beal would connect with 19 seconds to go in the first extra session to put Southwestern up, but Wilkinson’s drive and layup with five seconds left would tie up again at 64-all. Wesleyan would have one final chance when Southwestern would turn it over but the Coyotes could not convert.

Colclasure would score a put back with 4:09 left in double overtime to put the Lady Builders up 66-64, but after a Wilson foul Luckeroth’s free throws would tie it back up with 3:59 left. Dittmer would fit a pair of free throws with 3:03 left when Southwestern coach Dave Denly was given a technical foul. The call negated a Wesleyan bucket that would have put the Coyotes up four after the free throws.

Hayley Harvey would convert with 2:51 left to tie it back up at 68-all, and would hit a three with 1:53 left to put Southwestern up 71-68. Wilkinson would miss a layup and Jenna Wilson would be fouled and hit one of two free throws to put Southwestern up 72-68. Wilkinson’s half court heave at the buzzer would go in to make the final score 72-71.

Dittmer led Wesleyan (2-7, 0-3) with 22 points, while Baldwin had her third straight double-double with 16 points and 20 rebounds. The 20 rebounds sets a new school record for rebounds in a single game, snapping the previous record of 17 held by five individuals, the last time in 1989 two times by Robyn Wright. The Coyotes were 26-of-72 from the field in the game for 36.1 percent, but just 3-for-10 in the two overtime periods.

Beal led Southwestern (2-7, 2-1) with 16 points, while Colclasure and Wilson added ten each as the Lady ‘Builders were 27-of-66 from the field for 40.9 percent, including going 7-of-23 in the second half. Southwestern was held to just 19 points in the second half. Wilson had 14 rebounds while Colclasure added 13 as the Lady ‘Builders outrebounded the Coyotes 45-43/

KWU wraps up the first four games of KCAC play on Saturday at McPherson, before finally playing its home opener on December 15 against Mount Marty (S.D.). Tipoff of the McPherson game is scheduled for 5 p.m. from McPherson, and the home opener will tip at 2 p.m. inside Muir Gymnasium on the KWU campus.

-- KWU SI --