Kansas Wesleyan Women's Basketball faced the Bethel College Threshers on Wednesday night inside Mabee Arena, but the Coyotes could not overcome shooting struggles in the third quarter, dropping a 58-52 decision to the Threshers.
 
Wesleyan also played without freshman phenom Anna Jueneman who missed the game due to an injury.
 
The Coyotes were just 2 of 16 from the field in the third period and were outscored 18-7 after heading into the half tied at 30.
 
Wesleyan went scoreless for four and a half minutes in the quarter when Charley Baxter hit a 3-pointer to stop the drought with 3:57 left in the quarter, bringing the Coyotes back within 10 at 45-35.
 
The Coyotes opened the fourth quarter on fire, outscoring Bethel 13-1 to start the quarter and take a 50-49 lead with 6:47 left on a bucket by Emma Gertken.
 
Izzy McCool gave the Coyotes a 52-51 lead with 5:33 left in the game, but it was the last points KWU would score the rest of the night, as Bethel finished the game on a 7-0 run to come away with the 58-52 win.
 
It was a back and forth battle all night as the Coyotes built an 11-6 lead in the first quarter on a free throw by Jadyn Mangan with 3:12 left. Bethel would score the last seven points of the quarter to take a 13-11 lead after one.
 
Bethel led 24-18 with 5:47 left in the second quarter, but the Coyotes used a 9-0 run capped by Odessa Ozuna's bucket with 4:22 left in the half to take a 27-24 lead.
 
Ozuna's free throw right before the half would send the game into intermission tied.
 
Ozuna led the Coyotes with 15 points while Adriana DiPrima had nine and McCool had eight. Jocelyn Hall had seven points and pulled down 10 rebounds and had three blocks for the Coyotes.
 
Wesleyan was 21 of 61 from the field for 34.4 percent for the game.
 
KWU will look to bounce back as the Coyotes head to Winfield to take on Southwestern College Moundbuilders on Saturday at 1 p.m. The regular season wraps up next week as the Coyotes host the arch-rivals on Wednesday and head to Ottawa on Saturday.