HILLSBORO – Kansas Wesleyan ran into a defensive buzzsaw Saturday night.
The Coyotes committed 21 turnovers and shot 38 percent in a 58-48 Kansas Conference loss to Tabor.
The Bluejays entered the game with the KCAC's top scoring defense – 55.0 points per game – and they held the Coyotes 23 points under their season average of 71. The 48 points were a season low for the Coyotes.
KWU was 18 of 47 shooting that included 8 of 15 during a 20-point fourth quarter The Coyotes were 2 of 8 from long range and 10 of 15 at the free throw line for the game.
"They did a good job of taking us out of what we do," Wesleyan coach Ryan Showman said on his postgame radio show. "It was a tough night for us offensively."
Kelcey Hinz (SR/Whitewater, Kan.) led the Coyotes (9-3 overall, 5-2 KCAC) with 19 points on 8 of 11 shooting and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Gabby Mureeba (JR/Allen, Texas) scored 11 – nine in the fourth quarter – and Amanda Hill (SR/Rossville, Kan.) had 10 points and nine rebounds.
Kasey Rice led Tabor (8-2, 5-1 KCAC) with 14 points off the bench. The Bluejays shot 33 percent (18 of 54) but were 6 of 20 from beyond the 3-point arc but had just nine turnovers.
Wesleyan led 4-3 early on but Tabor took the lead for good with a 10-0 run and led 13-7 after one quarter.
An 11-0 surge in the second quarter extended the Bluejays' advantage to 30-13 and they led 30-16 at halftime after Hill made a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left. The Coyotes committed 14 turnovers in the half that resulted in 21 Tabor points.
Wesleyan rallied in the third quarter with a 9-2 run that trimmed the deficit to 35-27 with 1:47 left in the period. But Tabor scored nine of next 11 points bridging the third and fourth quarters and led 46-30 with 7½ minutes remaining. The Coyotes scored 14 points the final 1:50 of the game – Mureeba tallying seven – but couldn't catch up.
Tabor scored 24 points off KWU's turnovers.
"We've got to get better and we will," Showman said. "We'll find some ways offensively to be better."
The Coyotes close out the first semester portion of their schedule with two conference games next week. Saint Mary comes to Mabee Arena on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. game and they travel to Kansas City, Mo., next Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. contest against Avila.
Saint Mary (4-6, 1-5) was idle Saturday while Avila (7-2, 5-2) lost to Sterling 94-84 in Sterling.