Defense propels Coyote women to 53-38 win over McPherson
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Tierra Baldwin pulls down one of her 15 rebounds during Wesleyan's 53-38 win over McPherson

Kansas Wesleyan held McPherson to 25.9 percent shooting in the game, and gave the fewest points to an opponent all season as the Coyotes pulled away for a 53-38 win over McPherson in women’s basketball action on Thursday night at Muir Gym.

It took over two minutes for either team to score its first points of the night. Tierra Baldwin’s bucket with 17:59 left put the Coyotes ahead, and Kaylaen Dittmer’s free throws 40 seconds later gave Wesleyan a 4-0 lead.

April Woody’s bucket with 15:15 left in the first half gave McPherson its first points, of the night as the Bulldogs used an eventual 6-1 run to take a 6-5 lead with 13:21 to go in the half.

McPherson took a two-point advantage, 9-7, with ten minutes left in the first half on a free throw from Whitney Pegram, but it was the last lead the Bulldogs would have on the evening.

Freshman Megan Cavenee’s three with 9:35 left in the half gave the Coyotes the lead back for good, and sparked seven unanswered Wesleyan points capped by Dittmer’s steal and layup with 7:01 to go in the first.

Woody got McPherson (14-7, 7-6) back within three at 16-13 with 3:23 left on a pair of free throws before the Coyotes would get six straight to take their biggest lead of the night at 22-13 with 44 seconds to go in the first half.

Becky Bratcher would score with 25 seconds left in the half to send the teams to the locker room with Wesleyan leading 22-15.

An 11-3 Wesleyan run over the first four minutes of the second half saw the Coyotes jump out to their biggest lead of the night thus far at 15, 33-18, with 16:09 left in the game, capped by a Baldwin bucket.

Bratcher scored for McPherson to break the run on its next possession, but Khristy Santee would hit a free throw with 11:13 left to give Wesleyan (9-13, 6-7) its biggest lead of the night at 16, 38-22, with 10:04 to go.

Angelina Fiorenzi’s bucket with three minutes left cut Wesleyan’s lead to 12 at 46-34, but back-to-back Emily Luckeroth triples sandwiched around a pair of Jamie Brewer free throws gave the Coyotes back a 16-point advantage with 1:49 left, forcing a McPherson timeout.

After another Bratcher score, Baldwin would hit one of two foul shots with 39 seconds left putting the Coyotes up 15, and Wesleyan would run out the clock after an offensive foul from Bratcher with 28 seconds left for the 53-38 win.

Luckeroth led the Coyotes with 15, while Baldwin recorded her fourth straight double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. The Coyotes were 21-of-62 from the field for 33.9 percent. Gray added eight rebounds, and four blocks, while Luckeroth had five assists and Dittmer four for the Coyotes. Wesleyan held a 45-40 advantage on the glass as well.

Pegram led McPherson with 14 points, but did not play after leaving the game with 5:18 to go in the second half. Woody added nine points, and had ten rebounds to lead the Bulldogs who shot 14-of-54 from the field for 25.9 percent, including going 0-for-10 from behind the three point line.

Wesleyan heads on the road for the first time in two weeks on Saturday, traveling to North Newton to take on Bethel at 5 p.m., inside Thresher Gym.  The Coyotes return home for a Valentine’s Day contest with Saint Mary before heading back on the road for two games at Sterling and Friends, before hosting the regular season finale on February 23 against Tabor.

-- KWU SI --