Bethel women break losing streak by defeating Southwestern at home
Bethel women break losing streak by defeating Southwestern at home
Four Threshers scored in double-digits in the team's win.
The Bethel women’s basketball team rolled over Southwestern 81-54, in a game that saw the Threshers break their seven-game losing streak.
The Threshers outscored the Moundbuilders in every quarter. The second quarter was the best point differential for Bethel, when they scored 30 points to Southwestern’s 15.
Four different Threshers scored double-figure points in the win, including Natalie Richards with 19, Madyson McKinzie with 17, Kendall Locke added 12, and Caryn Yoder had 10. Josie Stupey led the team in assists with six.
McKinzie also added nine rebounds to get herself within one board of a double-double. McKinzie has had 4 double-doubles this year for the Threshers, and this is the fourth game this season that McKinzie has only been one rebound away from a double-double.
When asked about what the focus is for the Threshers, interim head coach Rocky Lamar kept it simple: “Defend, rebound, and run [the floor].”
It is safe to say the Bethel women made Lamar proud this weekend. Bethel outrebounded Southwestern 45-42, including 11 boards on the offensive glass. The Threshers also blocked four shots and got 15 steals. Carley Robb led the way defending the rim, blocking two shots, while Lexi Robinson and Yoder picked Southwestern’s pockets three times apiece.
When asked about the last stretch of the season, Lamar made it clear what the goal is: “Get to the conference tournament.”
Despite the Threshers’ most recent blowout win, they are not in an ideal situation to make the KCAC tournament, but they are not out of the running yet.
Bethel is sitting in a tie for 9th place and is only one game back from 8th place, the cutoff for the conference tournament. The good news is the other teams on the bubble, 8th place Sterling and 9th place Avila, are both in the remaining four games of the Threshers’ season, meaning that they control their destiny heading onward.
“[We’re] preparing ourselves to do the unexpected,” said McKinzie from Dumas, Ark. on the Threshers’ focus for the rest of the season.
Bethel looks to do just that starting Wednesday as they take the trip to Hillsboro to take on the Bluejays of Tabor with tip-off slated for 6 p.m.