credit: KWU
Two big games for the Kansas Wesleyan Women’s Basketball team await this week as the Coyotes start the final week of the season on Thursday at Ottawa University at 6 p.m. at Wilson Field House.
LISTEN AND WATCH LIVE
Thursday’s game, and all KCAC games this season can be heard live on FM 104.9 with the Voice of the Coyotes Mike Hammett with the call. . Fans can also listen online at www.fm1049salina.com or ksal.com. Live stats are available on the DakStats national stats site at www.dakstats.com/naia and will also be integrated into the live video broadcast on the Coyote Sports Network brought to you by Stretch Internet at portal.stretchinternet.com/kwu/. Updates will also be posted on Twitter (@kwucoyotes) throughout the night.
THE MATCHUP
- Wesleyan enters Thursday’s game with a 19-8 record overall and an 11-5 record in the KCAC.
- Ottawa is 14-12 overall and 12-6 in the KCAC.
THE LAST MEETING AND SERIES
- KWU won the last meeting between the teams 62-56 on January 17 in Salina. Karlie Steinle scored a career high 19 points in the game as Wesleyan overcame a slow start for the win. Ottawa led 29-27 at the half. The game was tied 39-all with 12 minutes to go, but a 14-4 run by the Coyotes opened things up, but Ottawa stayed close. Steinle sealed the win with four free throws in the final minute.
- Ottawa leads the all-time series 35-33, but KWU is 14-2 in the last 16 meetings in the series. KWU has won the last three meetings in the series, including a 75-64 win in Wilson Field House in last year’s KCAC Quarterfinals.
| PROBABLE STARTERS FOR KANSAS WESLEYAN (19-8, 11-5) | ||||
| NO. | NAME | PPG | RPG | APG/SPG |
| 10 | Shelby Heim (5-7, Jr., G) | 6.8 | 3.4 | |
| 11 | Karlie Steinle (5-8, So., G) | 10.3 | 5.0 | |
| 25 | Kalie LeShore (5-7, Sr., G) | 5.9 | 1.6 | |
| 31 | Vanessa Kresin (5-9, Sr., G/F) | 12.7 | 5.4 | |
| 35 | Breanna Patton (5-11, Jr., F) | 5.6 | 4.5 | |
| PROBABLE STARTERS FOR OTTAWA (14-12, 12-6) | ||||
| NO. | NAME | PPG | RPG | APG/SPG |
| 1 | Morgan Grammer (5-5, Jr., G) | 4.7 | 2.8 | |
| 3 | Mikayla Skidmore (5-6, Sr., G) | 12.8 | 3.3 | |
| 13 | Ashley Romig (6-0, So., C) | 13.9 | 7.7 | |
| 22 | Hannah Thomas (5-10, Jr., G) | 7.9 | 4.1 | |
| 33 | Madi Stewart (5-9, So., G) | 13.0 | 6.1 | |
LOOKING AT KWU
- Wesleyan is 19-8 overall and 11-5 in the KCAC after Saturday’s win over Sterling.
- Vanessa Kresin had 20 points to lead the Coyotes to a 58-47 win over Sterling on Saturday. Sterling took a 6-0 lead to start, but Kresin scored Wesleyan’s first ten points. The game was tied 16-all when Jenna Farris gave the Coyotes a 19-18 lead and sparked a 20-3 run by KWU to take a 36-21 lead. KWU led 36-23 at the half and led by 23 with five minutes left before Sterling used a run to cut the lead down to the final 11-point margin.
- Farris leads the Coyotes in scoring, averaging 13.5 per game, while Kresin adds 12.7 per game and a team best 5.4 rebounds per game. Wesleyan shoots 41.7 percent from the field, 34 percent from 3-point range and 73.9 percent from the free throw line to average 73.1 points per game. KWU averages 38.1 rebounds per game.
- Wesleyan’s opponents shoot 38.1 percent from the field, 26.9 percent from 3-point range and 64.4 percent from the free throw line to average 61.3 points per game. KWU’s opponents average 37.6 rebounds per game.
- Nationally, KWU ranks No. 10 in defensive 3-point percentage (.269), No. 11 in 3-pointers made (212), No. 11 in 3-pointers made per game (7.852), No. 11 in free throw percentage (.739), No. 18 in 3-point percentage (.340), No. 21 in blocks (105), No. 24 in scoring margin (11.889), No. 24 in blocks per game (3.889), No. 25 in turnover margin (3.259), No. 30 in scoring defense (61.259), No. 32 in scoring offense (73.148), No. 33 in points (1975), No. 35 in steal (273), No. 39 in field goal percentage (.417), No. 40 in steals per game (10.111) and No. 48 in rebounds allowed (37.556).
- Niki Wilson ranks No. 4 in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.053), Shelby Heim ranks No. 20 in 3-point percentage (.408), Steinle ranks No. 33 in free throw percentage (.810) and Kresin ranks No. 34 in free throw percentage (.807).
LOOKING AT OTTAWA
- Ottawa is 14-12 overall and 10-6 in the KCAC and has won three of its last four games including a 61-60 win at Bethel on Saturday.
- Mikayla Skidmore had 18 for the Braves while Ashley Romig had 13 points and 12 rebounds as Ottawa held off a late charge from Bethel for the win. Ottawa led 56-46 with three minutes left but Bethel outscored the Braves 14-5 from there to get within a point at the final score.
- Romig leads the Braves in scoring and rebounding averaging 13.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Ottawa shoots 38.8 percent from the field, 30.1 percent from 3-point range and 74.7 percent from the free throw line to average 64.2 points per game. Ottawa averages 34.7 rebounds per game.
- Ottawa’s opponents shoot 41.2 percent from the field, 32.3 percent from 3-point range and 73 percent from the line to average 66.7 points per game. Ottawa’s opponents average 37.5 rebounds per game.
- Ottawa ranks No. 5 in free throw percentage (.747) and No. 47 in defensive rebounding average (37.462).
- Madi Stewart ranks No. 13 in free throw percentage (.839), Skidmore ranks No. 15 in assists (120) and No. 18 in assists per game (4.615), Romig ranks No. 35 in blocks (33) and No. 40 in blocks per game (1.269).
UP NEXT
- Kansas Wesleyan hosts Southwestern in its regular season finale.
- Ottawa heads to Tabor in its regular season finale
- The KCAC Tournament begins Wednesday with quarterfinal games at four campus sites of the higher seeded teams.
