Wesleyan women finish regular season with win over Tabor
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Charressa Gray goes for a jumper during the first half of Saturday night's 54-41 win over Tabor

Kansas Wesleyan led wire-to-wire in its regular season finale 54-41 win over Tabor College on Saturday night at Muir Gym.

The win secures the no.5 seed for the Coyotes in next week’s KCAC Post-Season Tournament. First round games begin on Wednesday night at the home site of the higher seeded teams.

Charressa Gray’s bucket with 19:30 left put Wesleyan up 2-0, but Katie Fast would tie things up at 2-all four and a half minutes later with a score. Both teams traded a bucket back and forth before the Coyotes opened things up.

A 10-0 run from the Coyotes gave them a 14-4 lead with 11:56 left on a three from freshman LaCole Wilkinson. Her three was one of three triples during the run for the Coyotes.

Tabor (11-17, 10-8) did not pack up the horses yet, using a pair of Kirsten Watson free throws with 10:15 left to get within three, and a three from Stacie Herman to cut the KWU lead to one with 6:56 left at 18-17, capping a 13-4 run.

Another Luckeroth triple with 19 seconds left before the half would give Wesleyan a five-point lead, 25-20, at the break.

Seven straight Wesleyan points to open the second half gave the Coyotes their biggest lead of the night thus far at 12, 32-20, with 15:39 left on a bucket from Tierra Baldwin.

Katie Mount would get Tabor back within nine on a free throw with 13:53 left, but a decisive 13-4 run capped by a pair of Kaylaen Dittmer free throws saw the Coyotes take an 18-point cushion, 45-27, with 8:16 left.

Tabor could get no closer than 11 the rest of the way, the last time coming at the 1:20 mark on a bucket from Herman.

Two Luckeroth free throws sealed the deal for the Coyotes as they grabbed the 54-41 win.

Luckeroth poured in 15 points to lead the Coyotes, while Gray added 12 and Wilkinson pitched in 10 as Wesleyan shot 16-of-42 from the field for 38.1 percent. That included a 8-for-15 (53.3 percent) effort in the second half. Baldwin just missed her 12th double-double of the season, pulling down a game high 10 rebounds, but scoring only six points.

Wesleyan (12-16, 9-9) escaped the turnover bug, as they committed 26 miscues, but still grabbed the big win. The Coyotes also dominated the boards, outrebounding Tabor 41-25.

Herman had 17 to lead Tabor as the only player in double figures for the Bluejays as they struggled from the field, only hitting 16-of-58 shots for 27.6 percent. Herman and Jordon Crosson led Tabor with four rebounds each.

The Coyotes will travel back to Hillsboro on Wednesday to face the Bluejays for the third time this season. Tabor is the no.4 seed in this year’s tournament. The winner of that game will face the winner of no.1 seeded Sterling and the winner of Monday’s Saint Mary at Ottawa play-in game.

-- KWU SI --