KWU Women’s Basketball’s Rally Comes Up Just Short in Heartbreaker to Morningside

Kansas Wesleyan's furious fourth-quarter rally came up just short on Friday night inside Mabee Arena as the Coyotes dropped a heartbreaker to the Morningside Mustangs 75-74 in KWU's home opener.
 
Fast forward to the third quarter as the Coyotes were down five with under a minute left, but Alexis Dixon scored with 22 seconds left to cut the three-quarter deficit to three at 57-54.
 
The Coyotes scored six of the first eight of the fourth to take a 60-59 lead before the advantage jumped back and forth between the teams with Morningside taking a 68-65 lead with 3:01 to go. Back came the Coyotes following a technical foul on Mustang head coach Jamie Sale, KWU hit three of the four free throws, including the common foul, to tie it at 68 with 2:41 left.
 
Dixon's bucket with 1:08 left gave the Coyotes a 72-69 lead, before Morningside tied it at 72-all and built a 75-74 lead with 33 seconds left.
 
A pair of Hampton William free throws with 17 seconds left got the Coyotes within one, at 75-74, and the Coyotes had a chance at the game winner after a Morningside turnover, but Angel Lee's shot would miss and Morningside hung on.
 
Wesleyan trailed by 11, 24-13, early in the second quarter, but used a 14-0 run to take a 27-24 lead on LaMyah Ricks' bucket with 6:22 to go in the first half. KWU extended its run to 19-2 taking a 31-26 lead on Skyler Evans' bucket with five minutes left, but a 9-0 run by the Mustangs sent Morningside into the half leading 35-31.
 
The Mustangs pushed the lead out to nine in the third, at 42-33, before the Coyotes used a 12-2 run to take a 46-45 lead with 4:15 left in the third on Catherine Bowman's free throws.
 
Williams led the Coyotes with 18 as four reached double figures. Lee had 13, Jill Stephens had 11 and Dixon had 10 as KWU was 24 of 64 from the field for 37.5 percent. Dixon led the Coyotes with six rebounds, while three others had five each.
 
The Coyotes are back in action on Saturday, taking on Langston at 4 p.m. at Mabee Arena.