Kansas Wesleyan women’s basketball saw its three-game winning streak come to an end as the No. 12 ranked Sterling Warriors beat the Coyotes 95-67 on Saturday inside Mabee Arena in KWU’s conference opener.

Amanda Hill (JR/Rossville, Kan.) had 20 points for the Coyotes, and was one of three KWU players in double figures, but KWU couldn’t slow down a sizzling hot Sterling squad that shot 58.7 percent from the field for the game (37-of-63) and were led by Kylah Comley with 32 points.

The Coyotes were down by just a point with 5:41 left in the first quarter at 12-11, but Sterling would go on a 12-0 run to take a 23-11 lead with 2:22 left in the quarter. The Warriors extended their lead out to 13 at 26-13 with 1:44 left, but the Coyotes managed to close the gap to eight points at 28-20 with 28 seconds left on a 3 by Hill.

Wesleyan cut the difference to six at 32-26 with 7:41 to go in the second on a bucket by Courtney Brockhoff (JR/Hiawatha, Kan.), but Sterling pushed its lead out to 19 at the half at 56-37.

Sterling led by 20 after three quarters, and led by as much as a 91-56 margin with 2:24 left in the game before the Coyotes cut the difference to the final score of 95-67 on a 3 by Mia Needles (SO/Highland Ranch, Colo.).

Kelcey Hinz (SO/Whitewater, Kan.) added 12 points and Courtney Heinen (SR/Axtell, Kan.) had 11 for the Coyotes who shot 27-of-65 from the field for 41.5 percent. Hinz and Hill had four rebounds each to lead the Coyotes.

KWU returns to action on Wednesday, heading to Hillsboro to face No. 18 ranked Tabor at 6 p.m. in the Tabor College Gym.

*Photos by Tanner Colvin*