NORTH NEWTON – Cold shooting from the field and the free throw line were more than the No. 19-ranked Kansas Wesleyan men could overcome in a 78-67 Kansas Conference loss to Bethel on Saturday night in Thresher Gymnasium.
The Coyotes made 26 of their 66 field goal attempts (39.4 percent), including 3 of 18 from beyond the 3-point arc, and were 12 of 21 at the foul line.
Bethel also struggled to score the first half but got untracked the final 20 minutes, making 19 of 30 shots (63.3 percent).
The Threshers (13-4 overall, 8-3 KCAC) scored the last three points of the first half and led 30-27 at the intermission. They had a 32-29 lead early in the second half before breaking loose with a decisive surge.
Tavaughn Flowers scored eight consecutive points and Nick Bonner later scored seven in a row, fueling 28-17 run over the next 9:21 that gave Bethel a 60-46 lead with just under nine minutes left in the game.
The Coyotes couldn't get any closer than 10 the rest of the way.
Flowers scored all 12 of his points in the second half while Bonner tallied 10 of his 18 and Clifford Byrd III 11 of his game-high 20.
AJ Range (SR/Junction City, Kan.) and Alex Littlejohn (FR/Newton, Kan.) kept KWU within striking distance in the second half. Range had 11 points and seven rebounds after the break and finished with 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting. He also grabbed 11 rebounds. Littlejohn had 11 points and eight rebounds for the game – nine points coming in the second half.
Easton Hunter (FR/Colwich, Kan.), Jun Murdock (SO/Wichita, Kan.) and Marcel Dean (SO/Tucson, Ariz.) finished with eight points apiece for the Coyotes.
Five Threshers scored in double figures led by Byrd's 20 and Bonner's 18. Jaylon Scott had 16 points to go along with 15 rebounds, Flowers' 12 points and Bryant Mocaby's 10.
Bethel had a 42-40 rebounding edge and committed 16 turnovers; KWU had 17 turnovers.
The loss was the third in a row for the Coyotes and drops them to 12-4 overall, 7-4 in the KCAC. They'll look to get back on track against Friends in an 8 p.m. conference game Monday inside Mabee Arena. Friends (5-12, 4-7 KCAC) lost to Saint Mary 74-71 Saturday night in Wichita.
The game kicks off a busy week as York comes to Mabee Arena on Thursday for an 8 p.m. game and KWU travels to McPherson for a 7 p.m. contest on Saturday inside the Sport Center.