WINFIELD, Kan. – On Tuesday afternoon, the Southwestern College women's basketball team played their third home game of the 2022-23 campaign against the Barclay College Bears. In a tilt where the Builders narrowly outshot the Bears from the field, three-point makes and free throws ended up making the difference in a 71-58 win over Barclay.

Southwestern shot the ball at a fine but unspectacular 9-of-24 (37.5%) clip in the opening quarter, holding the Bears to just 5-of-17 (29.4%) in the first frame. The Builders only hit one of their six shots from deep, though, but did knock down 4-of-5 (80%) from the charity stripe. Over the course of the period, the two sides were evenly matched early, but Southwestern stretched their lead out to a 23-15 margin at the final buzzer.

Quarter number two followed a very similar course, as an 8-of-21 (38.1%) showing from the Lady Builder offense was nothing to scoff at. Again, SC held Barclay to less than 30% from the field, and did not allow a three-pointer for the second straight period. The team had another eight-point advantage over the Bears in the quarter, pushing their lead to 16 at 44-28 at the intermission.

Things flipped a bit in the third frame, as Southwestern was the squad that fell below the 30% mark at 4-of-16 (25%) for the frame. Barclay had an impressive period, sinking 8-of-20 (40%) from the field. Both teams made just one of their seven tries from long distance, as it was a struggle all night long to hit from beyond the arc. The Bears took the quarter by a margin of 18-13, cutting into the SC lead slightly. It was 57-46 after three full.

As the bout neared its end, the two sides would not come much closer together, as they both shot poorly in the final act. Sub-30% showings from both squads put an end to any opportunity that Barclay had for a comeback. The Builders would take a 14-12 margin in the final quarter to a 71-58 win over the Bears inside Stewart Field House.

For Southwestern, Christy Wiebe had a massive day on offense, hitting on 8-of-18 from the floor in the battle. She sunk three shots from long range in the matchup, while hitting 3-of-4 free throws, en route to a 22-point performance. Her efforts were followed up by an aggressive night from D'Shonda Hunt Sr., who converted on 5-of-9 shot attempts in the game. The shooting line translated into 13 points, including three made free-throw tries. Bryanna Williams and Macey Pond added nine points apiece to the squad's total.

Wiebe and Hunt were also the team leaders on the backboards, cleaning the glass for 14 and 13 rebounds, respectively. The performances earned each of them a double-double in this tilt, while Iyanna Brannon (7), Madi Jones (6) and Pond (6) also helped out in the category.

The team had 14 total assists in the battle, as Williams was the top distributor of the orange, tallying four assists in the game. Pond would follow her closely with three dimes, while Wiebe and Haven Matthews had a pair each to close out the list of student-athletes with multiple assists.

Jones had a pair of rejections of Barclay shooters in the matchup, while Pond, Matthews and Emily McElroy each had one. Matthews led the squad with three steals, as Pond and Wiebe had a pair, as well. Additionally, Williams, Brannon and Denisha Anderson were able to rack up a single steal apiece.

It was good bounce back game for the Lady Builders (3-1), who returned home to more success after their trip to Lamoni, Iowa ended in defeat at Graceland. This weekend will be full of basketball for SC, as the Moundbuilders will host both the Stars of Oklahoma City University and the Lions of Southwestern Assemblies of God University. The matchup with the Stars will happen on Friday, November 11 at 5 p.m., while the tilt with the Lions occurs just a day later on Saturday, November 12 at 4 p.m.

--buildersports.com--