With Super Bowl Sunday looming, the Bethany women’s basketball team outscored York by a touchdown in the first and second quarters, and pulled away for a 78-51 victory in Lindsborg Wednesday night.
Bethany clamped down defensively in the first quarter, and forced seven Panther turnovers. Bethany led 17-10 after one, and built a 38-24 lead at halftime.
York’s Justine Manjarrez caught fire in the third quarter, knocking down three triples in the session. The Panthers played even with Bethany in the third, 17-17.
With the score 55-41, Manjarraz opened the fourth quarter with another long-ball to trim the Bethany lead to 11. After Bethany coach Keith Ferguson called a timeout, the Swedes had seen enough. Bethany responded with a 16-0 run over the next four minutes to expand their cushion to 71-44 with 4:52 remaining.
It was a balanced attack offensively for Bethany, as only one player scored in double figures. Sydney Ahaneku led the way with 11 points, and 7 rebounds. Halei Wortham scored a career high 9 points off the bench. Samirah Miller and Alex Tyson also chipped in with 9 from the bench, with most of their points coming in the second half.
Bethany moves into a tie for 4th place in the KCAC standings, and host Tabor on Saturday. Pregame coverage start at 4:45pm on KVOB, 95.5 The Rock.
YORK 72, BETHANY 57
The Bethany men’s basketball team ran into a buzz-saw Wednesday night in Lindsborg. York used their length and athleticism to run away for a 72-57 victory.
Bethany made just 8-34 field goals in the first half, and were 3-18 from downtown at the break. York built a 35-21 advantage.
The Swedes made a run in the second half, and opened the final session on a 7-0 burst. After a Tyler Larkin layup, it was 35-28 York with 16:29 remaining. Larkin scored again with 14:29 left in the contest, trimming the deficit to five, 37-32. However, York went on a 8-2 run over the next 90 seconds and never looked back.
Bethany shot 29% for the game, and went 6-31 from beyond the arc. Larkin and freshman Isiah Saenz led Bethany with 13 points.
The Swedes return to action Saturday as they host Tabor at 7pm. That game can be heard on KVOB, 95.5 The Rock.
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