MCKENZIE, Tenn. – The fourth-ranked Bethel University Lady Wildcats will look to continue their unbeaten start Tuesday, November 3, when they welcome UT Southern to Crisp Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Bethel enters the matchup at 2–0 after winning both games in the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Classic. The Lady Wildcats opened with a 72–54 victory over Williams Baptist Thursday before defeating College of the Ozarks 74–58 Friday. Through those two outings, Bethel has averaged 73 points while allowing just 56 per game, winning by an average margin of 17 points. Tuesday marks the third consecutive home game to open the season.
UT Southern stood at 1–2 through Sunday, with a home game against Rust College scheduled for Monday before the Firehawks make the trip to McKenzie. The Firehawks opened with a narrow 60–58 loss at Cumberlands, then defeated Alice Lloyd 67–56. Their scheduled October 29 contest at Stillman was postponed.
In their most recent outing, the Firehawks fell 74–52 to No. 6 Lindsey Wilson Saturday in Pulaski. Abbilyn Teter led UT Southern with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and added four rebounds. Jaelyn Faulkner contributed 10 points, while Debrionna Jones and Ramie Reid scored seven apiece. Jones also collected six rebounds.
UT Southern trailed just 38–31 at halftime before Lindsey Wilson pulled away after the break. The Blue Raiders converted 15 Firehawk turnovers into 20 points, making ball security an area to watch as UT Southern prepares for another nationally ranked opponent.
The Lady Wildcats will also seek a different result from the teams' last meeting. UT Southern defeated Bethel 84–78 on January 3 in Pulaski, outscoring the Lady Wildcats 28–15 in the fourth quarter. Bethel holds a 27–12 advantage in the series and has won eight of the last 10 meetings.
With two double-digit victories already secured, Bethel will aim to extend its strong start against a familiar opponent that handed the Lady Wildcats a loss last season.
Bethel's Mikee Buchanan enters the game with 949 career points. She will become the 21^st player in program history to join the 1,000-point club when she scores 1,000 or more. Micah Hart joined the club last year.
Tickets:
Free admission
Stats:
https://bethelathletics.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
Watch:
https://bethelathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule