NORTH 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 for a 78-56 win over the Coyotes on Saturday night at Thresher Gymnasium.
The Coyotes had battled back from a 13-point deficit in the second quarter at 21-8 to tie things up at 28-all at the halftime buzzer on a bucket by Kelcey Hinz (SR/Whitewater, Kan.).
Caila Hill (JR/Rossville, Kan.)'s bucket started the KWU rally, and a 3-pointer by Catherine Bowman (FR/Bucklin, Kan.) got Wesleyan back within six at 21-15 with 4:29 left in the quarter. Amanda Hill (SR/Rossville, Kan.)'s bucket with three minutes left in the half got Wesleyan within a bucket at 21-19, capping an 11-0 run for the Coyotes.
Hinz scored with 23 seconds left to tie it at 26 all, and after a pair of Bethel free throws, Hinz's bucket at the buzzer sent the game into intermission tied.
KWU led 35-33 with six and a half left in the third quarter on a bucket by Amanda Hill, but six straight by Bethel gave the Threshers a 39-35 lead with 5:06 to go in the period.
A 3-pointer by Sydney Barrett (JR/Beloit, Kan.) got the Coyotes back within a point, and four straight Bowman free throws gave KWU a 43-41 lead with 3:02 left. After Bethel tied it, Hinz hit a free throw giving KWU a 44-43 lead with 2:27 to go, but Bethel would close the quarter on a 12-0 run to take a 55-44 lead into the fourth.
Another 3 by Barrett got the Coyotes within nine early in the fourth, but a 6-0 Bethel run put the Threshers up 64-49 with 6:51 left.
Both teams struggled to get going in the game at the score was stuck on 3-2 Bethel for nearly four minutes in the first quarter until Bethel finally broke the stalemate, scoring five straight to take an 8-2 lead.
Amanda Hill scored with just over a minute left to get KWU within a bucket at 10-8 before Bethel led 12-8 after a quarter.
Hinz led the Coyotes with 13, while Bowman added 11 and Amanda Hill had 10. Hinz also pulled down seven rebounds to lad the Coyotes.
Wesleyan has a very quick turnaround, facing Friends on Monday at 6 p.m. in Mabee Arena to wrap up the first half of KCAC play. KWU then hosts York on Thursday before going to McPherson next Saturday.