Coyote women ready to hit the hardwood again
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Tierra Baldwin has been a pleasant surprise for the Coyotes in the first semester, recording three double-doubles in three KCAC contests, and setting a new record for rebounds in a game with 20 vs. Southwestern on December 6.

The Kansas Wesleyan University Women’s Basketball team returns to the court after the Christmas Break layoff this weekend.

KWU gets back to work on December 29 at Rogers State (Okla.) at 2 p.m., in Claremore.

What was originally scheduled as a double-header with the men, became only the women’s contest after it was discovered that Rogers State’s men’s team had over-scheduled its allotted amount of games and had to make the cancellation. The Coyote women will then play on January 4 and 5 in Point Lookout, Mo., in the Subway CAM-JAM Classic hosted by Ozarks (Mo.). Wesleyan will face Central Baptist (Ark.) in the opener on January 4 and the host Bobcats on January 5.

Coach Gordon Reimer’s team has been the only KWU basketball team to get to play a game at home so far this season. Wesleyan faced Mount Marty (S.D.) at Muir Gym on December 15, dropping its fourth straight to the Lancers 70-62. The Coyotes were down 26 points at one point, and rallied to get back within six late, but couldn’t get over the top.

KWU is 2-8 overall and 0-3 in the KCAC, but has been in every contest to the end with the exception of the season opener. Throwing out the season opening 20-point loss to Benedictine, the Coyotes’ seven other losses have come by an average of 5.4 points per game. That includes a one-point loss to Baker (Kan.) on November 17 and another one-point loss in double overtime to then No.23 ranked Southwestern (Kan.) on December 6 in Winfield.

“Our defense has gotten us in some ruts lately,” Reimer said. “We’ve got to defend better if we want to win some games.”

The Coyotes head back to the floor led in scoring by Emily Luckeroth, who is averaging 12.9 points per game. Dittmer is the only other Coyote in double figures at 11.6 per game. Freshman LaCole Wilkinson is third at 8.3 and Tierra Baldwin is averaging 7.5 points so far this season.

“It’s hard to judge how we are going to be as a team this semester,” Reimer said. “This first game will tell us a little bit about what we are going to be like in the second semester.”

Baldwin leads the Coyotes in rebounding at 6.7 per game, while Dittmer adds 5.6 boards per contest. Baldwin, who had three double-doubles in three KCAC games before the break, set a new KWU record for rebounds in a game with 20 grabs against Southwestern on December 8. The mark breaks the previous record of 17 that was held by five individuals, the most recent being Robyn Wright twice in 1989.

As a team, the Coyotes are shooting 38.5 percent from the field, and 30.4 percent from behind the three-point line. The Coyotes are hot as a team at the foul line, connecting on nearly 75 percent of their foul shot chances. Wesleyan is pulling down 35.2 rebounds per game, but allows its opponents to get 39 rebounds per game.

After the three non-conference tilts, the Coyotes get back into KCAC play, taking on Bethel at home in Muir Gym on January 10.

-- KWU SI --