Daunting Task Awaits Lady Wildcats
MCKENZIE, Tenn. -The Bethel Lady Wildcats will attempt to snap a three game losing streak as they return home for the first time since December 18. The Cats play host to No. 1 Thomas More Thursday night at 6 p.m. in Crisp Arena. The game is the first of four straight home games for the Lady Cats.
After splitting their two games in the Frontier Classic in Phoenix, Bethel has dropped two MSC games after the holiday break.
Bethel enters the match-up with an 8-7 overall mark. The Lady Cats are 2-5 in league action. Thomas More has won 14 straight and is 15-1 and 8-0 in the MSC. TMU is 5-1 in road action while Bethel is 7-2 at home on the year. The Lady Cats are 135-22 all-time in Crisp Arena.
The Saints handed Bethel one of those losses with their worse loss ever in the building last season. TMU beat the Lady Wildcats 100-42 January 21, 2021. TMU shot 53 percent from the floor and hit 16 three-pointers. It is the only meeting ever between the two programs. The game scheduled later in the season was cancelled. The defending Mid-South Conference Tournament Champions and NAIA National Tournament Championship Runners-ups are 47-3 in their last 50 outings.
Thomas More is coming off wins over then No. 1 Campbellsville and (RV) Georgetown.
The Wildcats are averaging 67.3 points and yielding 60.6 points per outing.
Millie Bryant leads Bethel in scoring at 14.3 points per game. Bryant enters the game with 1,184 career points and 552 career rebounds. She is 13th in scoring and only four points shy of former Bethel great Dani Howard for 12th. Bryant is 12th in career rebounds. Earlier this season she became just the 10th Lady Cat to score 1,000 points or more and collect 500 rebounds or more.
Ryann Roberts averages 13.4 points per outing while Keely Morrow is good for 12.2 points per game.
Combining her play at Martin Methodist and Bethel, senior Mickey Head enters the game with 790 career rebounds and 234 career blocks. She has 1, 153 career points with 671 of those as a Lady Wildcat.
Bethel shoots 40 percent from the field while their opponents are at 38 percent from the floor. Bethel hits 33 percent of their three-point attempts. The opponents are at 33 percent. Bethel shoots 71 percent from the foul line while opponents shoot 67 percent.
Bethel has a 33-30 advantage in out rebounding their opponents per outing.
Trends & Numbers:
Bethel is 7-1 when they outshoot their opponents.
The Cats are 7-3 when they hit more three-pointers.
The Lady Cats are 7-0 when they outrebound their opponents.
Bethel is 8-0 when leading at the half.
The Cats are 4-5 when they have less turnovers.
Coach Chris Nelson is in his 16th season as head coach of the Lady Cats. He is 337-162 and 15th in wins among active coaches in the NAIA.
TMU is led in scoring by Emily Simon who averages 12.1 points per game. She is one of three players who average in double figures for the Saints. Eight or more Saints average seven points or more per game. TMU's Zoie Barth is the reigning MSC Player of the Week. In the wins over Campbellsville and Georgetown she averaged 16 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
The Saints average 78.3 and yield 61.6 points per game
Jeff Hans is in his 11th season as the head women's basketball coach at Thomas More University. Hans has guided the Saints to an 276-24 record, seven conference regular season titles, eight conference tournament titles, nine national tournament berths, including two NCAA Division III National Championships, and one NAIA National Championship Tournament Runners-up. His teams are 36-8 in MSC action.
Official Game Day Notes:
https://bethelathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2021-22/2021-22_Women-s_Basketball_Game_Notes_-_Jan._13.pdf
Live stats:
The Countdown to Tip-off Show begins at 5:30 p.m.
Live audio:
https://streamdb6web.securenetsystems.net/v5/WEIO
Live stats:
https://bethelathletics.com/WildcatStreaming
Live video:
https://bethelathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2021-22/boxscores/20220113_agwn.xml