The Kansas Wesleyan Women’s Basketball team heads into the Thanksgiving Break on a high note as the Coyotes outscored the Bellevue Bruins 48-22 during the second and third quarters for a 77-59 win on Tuesday night at Mabee Arena.
It is the fifth straight win for the Coyotes who improved to 7-2 overall with the win.
“We played really really well tonight especially from a defensive perspective,” Wesleyan head coach Ryan Showman said. “We were really effective for three lock-down quarters, holding a really good offensive team under 40 percent.”
Bellevue shot 52 percent in the first quarter but went just 15 of 49 (30.6 percent) the rest of the game.
The Bruins led 23-12 with just over a minute left in the first quarter when things started coming together for the Coyotes. Jill Stephens was fouled on a 3-point attempt and sank all three free throws and Odessa Ozuna buried another triple with 24 seconds in the quarter to cut the different to five after 10 minutes.
“You could just tell, we wanted to win this game and that’s a really good team over there,” Showman said. “They’re going to win some games in their league (North Star) and do some things in January and February and we knew that and we talked about it, but for a majority of the game we were the better team.”
The Coyotes cut the lead to three on free throws by LaMyah Ricks to start the second quarter, but Bellevue built an eight-point cushion again at 30-22 with 6:29 to go in the half.
Here came the Coyotes after that. A three by Stephens started the Wesleyan run as four straight points by Hampton Williams cut the difference to a point and free throws by Ricks with 4:04 to go put Wesleyan on top 31-30.
Triples by Stephens and Ricks and then buckets by Ozuna and Angel Lee closed the quarter as KWU used a 19-2 run to finish the half and lead 41-32 at the break.
Showman was particularly pleased with the play of Hampton Williams in the post, who had to step up and play down low due to foul trouble and shorthandedness for the Coyotes.
“Hampton Williams was great having to go up against players bigger and taller than her,” Showman said. “She went toe-to-toe with them and battled every play. 10 points and nine rebounds for her is a great night having to step up and battle in the post.”
Wesleyan pulled away more in the third quarter, pushing the lead out to 17 points with 5:16 to go on a bucket by Lee. A later three by Ozuna and a Ricks bucket pushed the lead to 20 for the first time at 59-39 with 3:08 left in the third.
The Coyotes led 66-45 after three quarters.
The lead hovered around 20 for the entire fourth quarter as the Coyotes slowed things down and played ball control, with most possessions ending positively for the Coyotes.
Stephens led the way with 19 points and had four rebounds for the Coyotes. Four others hit double figures as Ozuna had 17, Ricks 12, and Lee and Williams 10 each. KWU was 27 of 57 from the field for 47.4 percent from the game, and were phenomenal at the free throw line going 15 of 16. Williams led the Coyotes with nine rebounds and Ricks had eight.
“You’re seeing a team come together and find its identity. It’s really fun as a head coach to see,” Showman said.
Wesleyan is off until next Wednesday, when KWU welcomes the Sterling College Warriors to Mabee Arena for a 6 p.m. tipoff.
