Coyote women stumbled by Bethel, 78-56

NORD NEWTON – The Kansas Wesleyan women’s basketball team shot just 30.2 percent from the field as the Bethel Threshers pulled away in the second half to a 78-56 win over the Coyotes on Saturday night at The Thresher Gymnasium.

The Coyotes battled a 13-point second-quarter deficit at 21-8 to tie the game at 28-all at the halftime buzzer on a bucket of Kelcey Hinz (SR / Whitewater, Kan.).

Bucket from Caila Hill (JR / Rossville, Kan.) Started the KWU rally, and a 3 point pointer from Catherine Bowman (FR / Bucklin, Kan.) Got Wesleyan back in the six at 21-15 with 4:29 to play in the quarter. Amanda Hill’s (SR / Rossville, Kan.) Bucket with three minutes left in the half put Wesleyan in a bucket at 21-19, capping an 11-0 streak for the Coyotes.

Hinz scored with 23 seconds left to tie the game at 26, and after a pair of free throws from Bethel, Hinz’s bucket to the buzzer sent the game tied for intermission.

KWU was leading 35-33 with six and a half left in the third quarter on an Amanda Hill bucket, but six straight games by Bethel gave the Threshers a 39-35 lead with 5:06 left in the period.

A 3-point Sydney Barrett (JR / Beloit, Kan.) Got the Coyotes down to one point, and four straight free throws from Bowman gave KWU a 43-41 lead with 3:02 to go. After Bethel equalized, Hinz hit a free throw giving KWU a 44-43 lead with 2:27 remaining, but Bethel would end the quarter on a 12-0 run to take a 55-44 lead in the fourth.

Another 3 by Barrett put the Coyotes down to less than nine early in the fourth, but a 6-0 run at Bethel gave the Threshers a 64-49 lead with 6:51 left.

Both teams struggled to get into the game, with the score stuck at 3-2 Bethel for almost four minutes in the first quarter until Bethel finally broke the deadlock, scoring five in a row to take an 8-2 lead.

Amanda Hill scored with just over a minute to go to put KWU in a bucket at 10-8 before Bethel led 12-8 after a quarter.

Hinz led the Coyotes with 13 rebounds, while Bowman added 11 and Amanda Hill had 10. Hinz also took seven rebounds for the Coyotes.

Wesleyan had a very quick turnaround, facing Friends on Monday at 6 p.m. in Mabee Arena to wrap up the first half of the KCAC game. KWU then hosts York on Thursday before going to McPherson next Saturday.

-kwucoyotes.com-