Women's Basketball | 2/6/2024 4:24:00 PM
Kansas Wesleyan continues Kansas Conference play with pair of games this week. The Coyotes travel to Lindsborg for a midweek and are back in Salina this weekend to face Ottawa.
WEDNESDAY'S GAME
Opponent: Bethany
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Hahn Gymnasium, Lindsborg
SATURDAY'S GAME
Opponent: Ottawa
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Mabee Arena
LIVE COVERAGE
RECORDS
- Kansas Wesleyan 12-10, 10-6 KCAC
- Bethany 12-10, 10-5 KCAC
- Ottawa 13-9, 8-8 KCAC (Friends on Wednesday)
THE SERIES
- The Coyotes ended a three-game losing streak against Bethany with a 71-66 victory on December 2 inside Mabee Arena. The schools are 5-5 in the last 10 games, but KWU has a 27-13 advantage since December 2005. The Coyotes were 9-8 during that time.
- Ottawa has won the last two games including an 84-74 victory in Ottawa on December 6 this season. KWU had won four in a row before the two losses and leads the series 28-14 since February 2006. The Coyotes are 17-4 in Salina during that span.
KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE
- The Coyotes won two games last week defeating Evangel 64-61 Wednesday in Springfield, Missouri, and McPherson 67-55 Saturday in Mabee Arena. Jill Stephens scored nine of her 11 points in the final 6:54 that included a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 43 seconds left against Evangel. LaMyah Ricks had 16 points, six rebounds and four assists and Angel Lee had 13 points off the bench. KWU led by as many as 32 points in the third quarter against McPherson. Daijane Adams led the way with 14 points and seven rebounds while Ricks scored 12.
- Ricks was this week's KCAC Defensive Player of the Week. She had four steals against Evangel and helped KWU limit McPherson to 24 percent shooting the first three quarters.
- Four Coyotes scored in double figures in the first contest against Bethany led by Ricks with 15 points. Adams had 14 and 11 rebounds, Odessa Ozuna 13 points and Stephens 11. Alexis Dixon scored 15, Stephens 14 and Ricks 12 and 12 rebounds against Ottawa the first time.
- KWU and Bethany will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day during the contest. All women student-athletes and coaches from both schools will be recognized at halftime. The Women's Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sports and life.
BETHANY AT A GLANCE
- The Swedes have lost two of their last three but had won five in a row before the skid. Bethany fell to Friends 75-66 Saturday in Wichita but defeated Bethel 89-50 last Wednesday in Lindsborg.
- Senior guard R'Manie Pulling is the team's top scorer (12.9) with junior guard Jaden Newfarmer next is (9.1). Lauren Gleason and is the leading rebounder (6.3) followed by Newcomer (6.1).
- The Swedes average 68 points and are shooting 39 percent overall, 29 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, and are committing 17.6 turnovers per game. Opponents average 65 points and shoot 39.4 percent.
OTTAWA AT A GLANCE
- The Braves enter their game against Friends on Wednesday having won their last two games – 65-64 over Bethel on Saturday in North Newton and 69-62 over Oklahoma Wesleyan last Wednesday in Ottawa. They're 5-5 in their last 10 games and are 4-6 on the road this season.
- Ottawa is outscoring the opposition 73.5-67.5 this season. The Braves shoot the reasonably well – 40 percent overall and 34.7 percent from long distance. They average 16 turnovers and are being outrebounded by 2.5 per game.
- Abby Dietsche scored 21 points and Kennedy Bankett had 17 in OU's victory over the Coyotes in December. Bankett was this week's KCAC Offensive Player of the Week after she averaged 24 points and 6.5 rebounds in the Braves' two victories. She averages a team-best 14.9 points and is superb from 3-point range – 47.2 percent, 25 of 53. Dietsche, a 6-foot-1 forward, averages 13.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks but has not played in OU's last five games.
