Women’s Basketball with big week against Southwestern, Sterling and Tabor

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The Coyotes play three Kansas Conference game this week starting with Southwestern at 6 p.m. Monday inside Mabee Arena. They travel to Sterling for a rematch with No. 10-ranked Sterling at 6 p.m. Thursday and end the week with a pivotal game against Tabor at 5 p.m. Saturday in Mabee Arena.

 

LIVE COVERAGE
The games will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan. Live Stats will be available at www.kwucoyotes.com. Radio coverage will be on FM-104.9 in the Salina area and around the world at www.ksal.com. Jackson Schneider will have the call with pregame starting at 5:45 p.m. Monday and Thursday and 4:45 p.m. Saturday.

 

RECORDS 

Kansas Wesleyan 15-6 overall, 11-5 KCAC

Southwestern 1-20, 0-15

Sterling 20-1, 14-1 (at Saint Mary Monday)

Tabor 15-6, 12-4 (idle Monday, vs. Saint Mary Thursday)

 

THE SERIES

Coyotes have won eight in a row and nine of 10 against Southwestern. They won 69-55 November 29, 2021 in Winfield in the first game this season and have a 21-17 advantage since January, 2006.

KWU is 5-11 against Sterling since February, 2019 but handed the Warriors their only loss this season, 85-82 in overtime December 2 in Mabee Arena. The Warriors had won five of six before that. Sterling leads the series 23-15 since December, 2005.

Tabor has won five of the last seven, including a 58-48 victory December 4 in Hillsboro this season. KWU had won three in a row before Tabor’s recent surge but the Bluejays prevailed in the seven games prior to that. Tabor leads the series 19-17 since February, 2006.

 

KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE

The Coyotes defeated Ottawa 83-75 Saturday in Ottawa for their fourth consecutive victory. Amanda Hill (SR/Rossville, Kan.) scored 23 points and became KWU’s all-time leading scorer in the process, surpassing Hall of Famer Joedy Zimmerman with a 3-pointer early in the second quarter that gave her 1,570 career points. Zimmerman had held the record of 1,568 points since 1985.

Caila Hill (JR/Rossville, Kan.), Amanda’s younger sister, scored a career-high 19 points and Kelcey Hinz (SR/Whitewater, Kan.) had 18 points. The Coyotes shot 54 percent from the field (32 of 59), which helped them overcome 22 turnovers. Ottawa had 20 turnovers.

KWU is tied for fourth with Bethany and Avila in the KCAC standings (11-5), half a game behind Friends (11-4) and one game behind Tabor (12-4).

Hill averages 14.8 points and Hinz 14.2 along with 10.5 rebounds and 4.3 blocks. Hill also averages 7.6 rebounds.

 

SOUTHWESTERN AT A GLANCE

The Moundbuilders have lost 17 in a row including a 68-46 setback against Saint Mary on Saturday in Winfield. They lost to Tabor 68-31 and Sterling 101-53 in the two games before that.

Southwestern is being outscored 73-53 this season and has struggled shooting the ball – 53 percent as a team that includes 26.5 percent from 3-point range and 57 percent from the foul line.

Atyanna Freeman’s the leading scorer with an 8.6 average followed by Amanda Graddy at 8.4 and Denisha Anderson at 8.2

 

STERLING AT A GLANCE

The Warriors have won 12 in a row since their loss to KWU, the most recent a 71-64 victory over Tabor on Saturday in Sterling. The Warriors led 37-33 at halftime and the game was close throughout.

Sterling averages 85.4 points and is allowing 66.7 per game. The Warriors are shooting 48 percent from the field, 38 percent from deep. They also average just 12.6 turnovers a game while forcing 17.4

Bailey Albright is the top scorer (21.8), followed by Taya Wilson (15.4) and Emmiley Hendrixson (14.9). Wilson also averages a team-best 9.4 rebounds.

 

TABOR AT A GLANCE

The Bluejays loss to Sterling on Saturday ended a five-game winning streak. They trailed 52-49 after three quarters. Alyvia Owens led Tabor with 18 and seven rebounds.

Defense is the Bluejays’ forte. Opposing teams are averaging 57 points and are shooting 42.7 percent. They also force nearly 18 turnovers while committing just over 15 themselves.

Zoe Shieldnight is the top scorer (11.0) with Owens (9.4) and Casey Rice (8.9) next. Owens averages a team-best 5.9 rebounds and Shieldnight 5.2.