Lady Wildcats Advance to Round of 16 with Home Wins

McKENZIE (March 14-15) — The Bethel University Lady Wildcats are headed to Sioux City, Iowa, for the Round of 16 of the NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship after a pair of wins this weekend in the first and second rounds.

The Lady Wildcats’ 23-7 record and Mid-South Conference title earned them a one-seed and hosting rights for the first two rounds.

Friday evening, Bethel faced 16-seed Sterling (Kansas) and rode a dominant third quarter to an 86-56 victory. The win was Coach Chris Nelson’s 400th, all earned in his 19 years as Bethel’s head coach.

Saturday afternoon, the Lady Wildcats took on eight-seed Benedictine (Kansas), who defeated LSU-Alexandria the night before. While more competitive than the first game, Bethel was able to finish both halves strong for a 67-52 victory.

Crisp Arena’s home stands were packed with Bethel fans, boosted by the plethora of local and regional talent found on the Lady Wildcat roster.

Bethel’s next game is Thursday at 1 p.m. CDT against four-seed Hastings (Nebraska).

First Round: Bethel Lady Wildcats 86, Sterling Lady Warriors 56
Bethel had a 16-10 lead after the opening frame and a 21-19 edge in the second. A 28-11 tilt in the third gave the Lady Wildcats room to breath, and a 21-16 advantage in the fourth capped the win.

Freshman Micah Hart of Yorkville (Gibson County High School) led all scorers with 20 points, including a trio of three-pointers. She also boasted five rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block.

Junior (and Micah’s older sister) Madison Hart, also of Yorkville and GCHS, scored 18 with eight rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks.

McKenzie’s own Kylie Reynolds, a sophomore, scored eight points with a pair of threes and had three rebounds, four steals and a block.

Her sister, freshman Mikaela Reynolds, played just two minutes but recorded two points and a steal.

Senior Brooklyn Williiams of Huntingdon played three minutes and scored one point with a rebound and a steal.

Freshman Kylee Alexander of Martin played nine minutes, scoring five points (with a three) and earning one steal.

Senior Kyla Taylor of Lexington played six minutes with two points and an assist.

Second Round: Bethel Lady Wildcats 67, Benedictine Lady Ravens 52
The Lady Wildcats led 20-18 after the first frame, then pulled away with a 17-9 advantage in the second. Benedictine rallied 14-13 in the third, but Bethel regained control and closed out the win with a 17-11 tilt in the fourth.

Madison Hart led the way this time with 30 points (one three-pointer, 11-of-11 from the line), ten rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block.

Micah Hart scored 24 with four threes (six-of-six from the line). She also had a rebound, an assist and a steal.

Kylie Reynolds scored six points (one three-pointer) and had six rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block.