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LIVE STATS: vs Bethel | at Friends
TICKETS: vs Bethel | at Friends
KWU wraps up the regular season portion of its schedule with a pair of Kansas Conference games this week. The Coyotes play No. 24-ranked Bethel at 8 p.m. Wednesday inside Mabee Arena and travel to Wichita for a 7 p.m. contest against Friends on Saturday in the Garvey Center.
LIVE COVERAGE
The games will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at www.kcacnetwork.com/
RECORDS
Kansas Wesleyan 19-8 overall, 14-8 KCAC
Bethel 22-6, 17-5
Friends 10-18, 9-13 (at Saint Mary Wednesday)
THE SERIES
Bethel has won three of the last four including a 78-67 victory January 8 in North Newton in the first game this season. KWU won in North Newton 71-68 in the only game the teams played last season (November 13, 2020). The Threshers have a 20-12 lead since December, 2005.
Wesleyan had won five in a row against Friends before losing 94-82 January 10 in Mabee Arena in the first game this season. The Falcons lead the series 22-14 since January, 2006.
KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE
The Coyotes have won five of their last six including two victories last week. They defeated Avila 85-57 Wednesday in Mabee Arena and downed Bethany 78-71 Saturday in Lindsborg.
Easton Hunter (FR/Colwich, Kan.) scored 30, Jun Murdock (SO/Wichita, Kan.) 16 and Trey Duffey (SO/Topeka, Kan.) had 10 and 12 rebounds in the victory over Avila. KWU shot 49 percent and outrebounded the Eagles 43-26. Cory Kaplan (SO/Merritt Island, Fla.) had 24 points and Murdock 14 in the victory over Bethany as the Coyotes shot a blistering 53 percent.
A.J. Range had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Alex Littlejohn (FR/Newton, Kan.) 11 points but the Coyotes shot 39 percent overall in the loss to Bethel in January. Range had 21 points and Hunter 17 in the first game against Friends in Mabee Arena. Murdock didn’t play because of an injury.
KWU’s currently fifth in the KCAC, 1.5 games behind Ottawa (16-7) and half a game ahead of Bethany (14-9).
BETHEL AT A GLANCE
The Threshers have won their last three since dropping two in a row. They defeated Saint Mary 101-84 Saturday and Tabor 87-66 last Wednesday, both in North Newton. They’re 10-4 on the road this season.
Five Threshers scored in double figures in the first game against KWU. Clifford Byrd III had 20, Nick Bonner 18 and Jaylon Scott 16 and 15 rebounds.
Scott, an NAIA All-American last season, was named the KCAC Offensive Player of the Week this week. He had 18 points against Tabor, 21 against Saint Mary and is averaging 19.5 points, 7.0 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 steals this season. Byrd averages 13.6 points and Brian Mocaby 12.1.
The Threshers average 80.6 points and are shooting 45 percent overall, 36 percent from deep and force an average of 15.7 turnovers a game.
FRIENDS AT A GLANCE
The Falcons head for Leavenworth on Wednesday having won three in a row including a 72-66 victory over Southwestern on February 5 in Wichita. The hot streak has come after losing six of seven. Friends defeated Sterling 78-60 Saturday in Sterling and downed Tabor 66-53 Saturday in Wichita. The Falcons are 7-6 at home this season.
Friends made 13 3-pointers (13 of 31) in the victory over KWU in January. Freshman Drew Patterson led the way with six (6 of 8) and scored a game-high 27 points. Four other Falcons had 12 points. Friends shot 50 percent for the game.
Ian Konek is the leading scorer (15.7) followed by Trey Reid (12.5) and Alex Gray (10.8). Gray’s also the top rebounder (8.8).
Friends averages 71.6 points and is shooting 44 percent, 36 percent from beyond the arc. The Falcons also average 17.2 turnovers and are forcing opponents to commit 10.8 per game.
