The Bethany women’s basketball team ended an eight-year drought in Leavenworth, with a 64-60 win Wednesday night over Saint Mary.
With a 5-4 KCAC record, the Swedes have won four of their last five games, and are off to their best league start since 2005-06.
Saint Mary raced out to an 8-0 lead less than three minutes into the contest. After trailing early, Bethany regrouped, and counted with a 24-8 burst over the next ten minutes. The Swedes led 32-27 with less than a minute to go in the second quarter, but Saint Mary’s Tiana White hit an and-1 three pointer to cut it to 32-31 at the half.
Saint Mary won the third quarter 19-15 and led 50-47 entering the final session. Bethany opened the fourth on a 9-2 run to take a 56-52 lead. The Spires leading scorer, Candy De Los Reyes, sank two free throws with 3:42 left to draw Saint Mary within two, 58-56.
On the ensuing possession, Bethany’s Marissa Pope drained a left side three to give Bethany a five point lead, 61-56. After a Spires miss, the Swedes Cassidy Enns hit a trailing three, pushing the lead to eight, 64-56.
Four players finished in double figures. Lauren Welsch had 13 tallies, Enns had 12, Pope finished with 11, and Sydney Ahaneku had 10.
Bethany returns to the floor on Saturday at home against Sterling. Tipoff at 5pm, with pregame at 4:45pm on KVOB 95.5 The Rock.
Saint Mary 94, Bethany 86 (OT)
It was a tale of two halves for the Bethany men Wednesday night at Saint Mary. After trailing by 20 at the break, Bethany forced overtime, but fell short 94-86.
The Swedes trailed 7-0, and 16-4 in the first six minutes of the contest. Saint Mary ballooned their lead to 23 right before intermission, and led 43-23 at the half.
Bethany started 4-22 from the floor, and 1-11 from downtown. From that point forward, the Swedes shot 53% for the game, and 9-17 from beyond the arc.
With Saint Mary leading 53-31 with 15:25 to go in the contest, the lid on the Bethany basket popped off. Bethany outscored Saint Mary 42-16 over the next 12 minutes, and led 73-69 with 3:12 to play.
After Saint Mary buried two free throws with 11 seconds left, Bethany’s Thomas Hood was fouled with 0.6 on the clock. With the game tied at 75, Hood missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and the game went to overtime.
Saint Mary won the extra period, 19-11.
Bethany returns to the floor on Saturday at home against Sterling. Tipoff at 7pm, with pregame at 6:45pm on KVOB 95.5 The Rock.
https://soundcloud.com/user-453488022/bethany-basketball-1-3-18
