The third-seeded Coyotes open up the game in the Kansas Conference championships with a game against sixth-seeded Ottawa.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOWTickets for the KCAC Quarterfinals are on sale now at kcacsports.com/tickets. THERE WILL BE NO CASH TICKET SALES. All tickets must be purchased in advance online. KWU ticket staff will be available to help fans purchase tickets online, but on-site cash ticket sales will not be available.
GAME INFORMATION
Thursday: Ottawa to Kansas Wesleyan, 7 p.m., Mabee Arena
Saturday: KCAC Semi-Finals, 7:00 PM, at the venue of the higher seeded team
LIVE BROADCAST
The game 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 worldwide at www.ksal.com. Jackson Schneider will have the pre-game call starting at 6:45pm
RECORD
Kansas Wesleyan 19-9 (17-5 KCAC)
Ottawa 17-11 (13-9 CAC)
THE SERIES
KWU won in their last four games and won 12 of 13. This season the Coyotes won 72-55 in December at Mabee Arena and 70-68 in Ottawa earlier this month. I’m 28-12 against the Braves since February 2006.
KANSAS WESLEYAN IN BRIEF
The winner of Thursday’s game advances to the semifinals and faces second seed Bethany or seventh seed Friends at 7:00 PM Saturday at the headquarters of the higher seeded team. The championship game will be played Monday at 8:00 PM in Park City inside Hartman Arena. The winner receives a spot in the NAIA National Championship.
The Coyotes won two in a row, eight of nine and 12 of 14. On Wednesday they defeated Tabor 62-61, rallying from a nine-point deficit in the final 58 seconds, and finished the regular season with a 70- 34 of York – both games at Mabee Arena. Tylieea Wallace (SO/Overland Park, Kan.) 3-pointer with 2 seconds left was the difference against Tabor and Megan Foote (SO/Louisburg, Kan.) led the way with career highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds against York.
Point guard LaMyah Ricks (JR/Shawnee Mission, Kan.) was named the KCAC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. He had three steals against Tabor and helped KWU keep York at their lowest point total on the season. He also averaged 13.5 points in the two games which included 16 against Tabor.
Caila Hill (SR/Rossville, Kan.) scored 15 points and Wallace 14 in the first game against Ottawa; Wallace also had nine rebounds. Ricks had 20 points and nine rebounds and Wallace had 16 and 8 in game two against the Braves.
KWU averages 69.3 points but allows only 63.5 and has a rebounding lead of plus 3.5 per game. Wallace leads the team in 12.0 scoring and 7.5 rebounding while Ricks is averaging 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Caila Hill is averaging 9.4 points and 6.0 rebounds.
OTTAWA IN BRIEF
The Braves lost to the Saint Mary 84-81 on Saturday in Ottawa, ending their three game hitting streak. Ottawa has won five of the last seven and seven of ten.
Senior center Nicole Brown had 26 points and 13 rebounds against Saint Mary, while senior guard Cierra Brown had 23. Cierra had 19 points and Nicole had 14 and nine rebounds in the Braves’ 74-51 win against the Oklahoma Wesleyan last Wednesday. The Browns are one-two for Ottawa: Nicole is averaging 16.6 points and 11.6 rebounds and Cierra is averaging 14.8 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Ottawa averages 69 points and allows 62. The Braves shoot 42% as a team and hold their opponents to 36.7%. OU is 7-6 on the road this season.
