Kansas Wesleyan's Stephanie Frost goes up for a shot over Samantha Ciani of St. Mary in the first half of a basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 at Mabee Arena. (photo by Jeff Cooper/ Salina Journal) | Buy Journal Photos

Kansas Wesleyan's Jamie Alexander drives up the lane against Carmisha Harper of Saint Mary in the first half of a basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 at Mabee Arena. (photo by Jeff Cooper/ Salina Journal)






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Santee lights up Spires for 27; KW women go to 2-0 in KCAC


12/6/2009
By BOB DAVIDSON Salina Journal
Montric Santee hesitated when asked who's the better basketball player -- she or her older sister Khristy, a starting forward for the Kansas Wesleyan women's basketball team last year.

"She has told me probably I'm better than her," Montric said with a laugh after the pause. "She has ups (jumping ability), but I have a better all-around game."

No doubt Khristy would have been proud of her little sister Saturday night. Montric scored 27 points, grabbed four rebounds and had two steals and two assists in leading Wesleyan to a 57-42 Kansas Conference victory over Saint Mary at Mabee Arena.

The victory was the sixth in a row for KWU, which improved to 7-2 overall, 2-0 in the KCAC.

Santee, a sophomore forward from Little Elm, Texas, joined the Coyotes this season after transferring from Northeastern Oklahoma. Khristy Santee graduated last spring after helping the Coyotes win a share of the KCAC regular season title, win the postseason tournament and notch a victory in their first national tournament berth.

Montric was 6 of 12 from the field and 14 of 20 from the free throw after repeatedly drawing fouls on drives to the basket.

Santee said she's driven by what transpired last March in Sioux City, Iowa, which she viewed from the stands as a spectator.

"We practice hard. We all have the desire to go back where we were last year. We all know the goal, and that's what we want to do," he said.

The Coyotes fought through a mediocre shooting performance -- 18 of 54 (33.3 percent), which included several misses close to the basket, and 18 of 28 shooting from the free throw line.

They did so by forcing 26 Saint Mary turnovers that led to 28 points and by limiting the Spires to 30 percent shooting (15 of 50).

"We had an off night shooting, which is unusual for us, but a win's a win, and I'm happy to put that one in the bank," KWU coach Gordon Reimer said.

"Good teams find ways to win, even when things aren't going quite the way they want them to. Somebody on this team always steps up for us, and tonight it happened to be Montric. She had a great game."

Freshman forward Stephanie Frost had her second double-double in two games with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

"She's learning every time out, and she just gets better every time she plays," Reimer said of Frost.

Wesleyan used a 16-2 first-half run in taking a 26-14 halftime lead. Saint Mary got within seven (37-30), but a 10-0 Coyote spurt ended the suspense. KWU led by as many as 20 (55-35) down the stretch.

Rani Jacobs led Saint Mary (2-9, 0-2) with 12 points and was the only Spire in double figures.




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