Kansas Wesleyan Head Coach Ryan Showman didn't how the third quarter started for his Coyote Women's Basketball team.
But he sure did like how the quarter ended.
After falling behind by 10 points in the third, the Coyotes stormed back to tie it at the end of the third and come away with a 71-66 victory on Saturday night against the Bethany Swedes at Mabee Arena.
"We played a brutal non-conference schedule where we had several games just like this that didn't go our way," Showman said. "But for us to find a way tonight and take that next step, I can't describe it right now other than it's absolutely amazing for us to find a way to close it out. To come back in the third quarter and tie it up and then took control in the fourth quarter."
Leading 33-28 at half time, the Coyotes struggled in the first four minutes of the third, not scoring until the 5:38 mark when LaMyah Ricks drove to the bucket and scored to stop Bethany's 10-0 run to start the quarter.
The Swedes got three big 3-pointers from a trio of players to pull out to a 10 point lead, 49-39, with 2:47 left in the quarter.
The Swedes got three big 3-pointers from a trio of players to pull out to a 10 point lead, 49-39, with 2:47 left in the quarter.
That's when the Coyotes said 'enough is enough'.
Daijane Adams buried a triple to start Wesleyan's 10-0 run to end the quarter, and freshman Odessa Ozuna would score the next seven Coyote points, including getting a steal and a bucket to end the quarter and send the game to the fourth tied at 49.
"Odessa came out in the first quarter and played like a freshman, and I brought her out and I put my arm around her and said 'you're fine'," Showman said. "And every time we put her back in she did great, she made plays, and was a big reason why we were able to come back in the third quarter. She's going to be pretty darn good when it's all said and done."
Adams hit the first bucket of the fourth for the Coyotes giving KWU a 51-49 lead, but Bethany tied it up and took a 54-51 lead with just under seven minutes left in the game.
Back came the Coyotes again.
A three-point play by Ricks tied it up again at 54, and after Bethany scored, Ozuna came through again with a basket to tie it at 56-all, and the freshman would give the Coyotes the lead at 58-56 with 5:43 left.
Bethany took one last lead at 59-58 with five minutes left when the Coyotes took over. A bucket by Skyler Evans put KWU up 60-59, and the Coyotes would not give up the lead the rest of the night.
Leading by two with 20 seconds left, Angel Lee blocked a potential game-tying shot by Bethany and grabbed the rebound, and free throws down the stretch sealed it for the Coyotes.
Wesleyan jumped out to a 10-5 lead to open the game, but Bethany came back and closed the first quarter on a 13-2 run that gave the Swedes an 18-12 lead after one.
The Coyotes bounced back, responding with a 10-0 run capped by a free throw by Evans that made it 22-18 with 5:30 left in the half. Bethany came back and took a 25-24 lead with 2:23 left, but a strong finish to the half put the Coyotes up eight at 33-25 just before the half when Emily Green for Bethany hit a 35-foot running three as time expired to make it a 5-point game at the half.
Five Coyotes reached double figures led by Ricks with 15, while Daijane Adams had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Coyotes, and had three steals. Ozuna had 13 points and Jill Stephens added 11. Evans added six rebounds for the Coyotes. The Coyotes shot 52 percent in the second half and 43.1 percent for the game.
Showman was proud of his team's effort in the game, making the hustle plays count.
"We talked a lot about making winning plays. We dove on the floor after balls a lot tonight, we went after the loose ball on shots a lot tonight. We made free throws to finish possessions. We made winning plays and that was the difference," he said.
The Coyotes are back in action next week with two final games before the semester break. KWU is at Ottawa on Wednesday, then hosts Saint Mary next Saturday.