HENDERSON, Tenn. – With the game tied at 61-61, Bethel's Kylie Reynolds knocked down a huge three-pointer with just over two minutes left to put the Lady Cats up 64-61. It would be a lead the Cats would not relinquish. Several key stops would allow the Cats to win 64-63 in their final game of the Freed-Hardeman Classic.
It was Bethel's (6-2) sixth straight victory. The Mighty Oaks dropped to 1-4.
Reynolds would finish with 11 points and seven rebounds. Madison Hart had a game high 18 points. She also grabbed six boards. Aliya Lee had a solid performance off the bench with 18 points and nine rebounds.
The Cats had a 37-35 rebound advantage. The Wildcat bench was a huge factor with a 31-21 margin in the win.
Coach Chris Nelson was proud of his team and their effort. "We are so proud of our team for showing toughness and hanging in there when the game got hard for us. We could have hung our heads when we got down in the early portion of the fourth quarter. Oakland City is a nice ball club that plays physical and has all the pieces to be playing in March. They run really good stuff and play extremely hard. I thought Kal (Howard) did a great job with executing our stuff and Madison and Alyia really stepped up and played hard even in foul trouble. Kylie doesn't play like a freshman and made huge shots at big times for our team. Anya (Patterson) and Haleigh (Caviness) did a great job with clock management late and executed what we were trying to do defensively. This one feels good going into the Thanksgiving break."
Bethel is off until November 28 when they travel to Philander Smith.
