Women's Basketball: Bethany Advances to PAC Semifinals with Win Over Chatham

Pittsburgh, Pa. – The #5 Bethany College Bison return to the PAC semifinals for the first time since the 2011-12 season after defeating the #4 Chatham Cougars 64-44, Tuesday evening inside the AFC in Pittsburgh, Pa.

GAME FLOW

• Bethany and Chatham battled in the first quarter with the Cougars taking a narrow 13-12 lead after one.
• Alexis Heap scored back-to-back buckets in the second to give the Bison the lead at the 8:06 mark leading 16-15.
• The lead see-sawed back and forth in the second quarter. A Kelsie Meintel jump shot gave the Bison a 25-23 with under a minute to go in the first half.
• Chatham knotted the game to begin the second half, but the Bison answered with a Taylor Stinnett jump shot.
• Bethany maintained the lead to end the third stanza, 43-32.
• The Cougars used a slight run in the fourth to cut the lead 48-41 with 5:20 to go in the game.
• The Bison answered with an Ashleigh Wheeler three to extend the Bison lead to double-digits and held onto the double-digit lead for the remainder of the game.
• Bethany outrebounded Chatham 53-26 with 20 offensive rebounds. The Bison were 87.5 percent (14-for-16) from the charity stripe.

IN THE BOX SCORE

• Freshman Ashleigh Wheeler led the Bison with 19 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. She added three assists and two steals.
• Freshman Lindsey Garrison added 10 points, three rebounds and one steal.
• Taylor Stinnett pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds and added five points.
• Kelsie Meintel added nine points and seven rebounds.

GAME NOTES

• The Bison reach the semifinals for the first time since the 2011-12 season and the first time under sixth year head coach Brian Sansom.

UP NEXT 

The Bethany Bison moves on to the PAC semifinal game against the Washington & Jefferson Presidents on Thursday, time to be announced.