By BOB DAVIDSON

Salina Journal

Trey Sims was outstanding. And Kansas Wesleyan's beleaguered defense was just good enough.

Sims scored 27 points, including two free throws with 26.8 seconds left in the game that proved to be difference, as the Coyotes outlasted Southwestern 81-79 Thursday night in a Kansas Conference game at Mabee Arena.

Wesleyan moves to 5-5 on the season with the victory in its KCAC opener while Southwestern falls to 7-4, 0-1 in its opener.

The victory didn't come easily for the Coyotes, who led 75-61 with eight minutes only to let Southwestern back in it. The Moundbuilders went on a 12-0 run, tying the game with 4:07 left on a David King basket.

But Sims hit a guarded reverse layup with 2:14 left and the two free throws as Wesleyan held on.

The Coyotes escaped when Southwestern's Avery Richardson 10-foot jump shot in the lane with 2 seconds left bounced off the front of the rim.

Sims, a senior guard and the team's leading scorer, was 10 of 16 from the field, 4 of 4 at the foul line and also had five rebounds and three steals.

"I've been slacking off, letting my teammates down and not going hard in practice," Sims said. "I picked it up in practice this week and it turned out good for me in this game tonight."

KWU coach Mike Davert wasn't ready to blame Sims for "slacking off."

"Trey was Trey," Davert said. "He's been struggling the last three games and after watching we felt Trey was forcing the issue too much. He wasn't letting the game come to him. I thought tonight he did an excellent job of letting the game come to him. He all of his points within the offense."

Davert had criticized his team's defensive play before the game, but was fairly pleased despite the fact the Moundbuilders shot 51.7 percent from the field -- 57.6 percent in the second half, including 6-of-11 shooting from 3-point range.

"I thought we played fairly good defense the first half and the first part of the second half," he said. "Avery Richardson was on fire tonight. He was driving the ball and hitting 3s. Our defense was better tonight, much better at times, and we forced a tough shot at the end."

Davert blamed fatigue for his team's defensive letdown late.

"We got stagnant and I think we got tired, and when we get tired we stand," he said. "We weren't sprinting back and they got some easy buckets in transition."

Richardson, a point guard and transfer from Butler Community College, had 19 points -- 17 in the second half. Alwyn Jordan led Southwestern with 27 points and seven rebounds.

Wesleyan won the rebounding battle handily, 34-23, despite the presence of Southwestern's 6-foot-11 center David King, who scored 16 points inside but had just three rebounds.

"We told the guys before the game Southwestern gets easily 60 to 75 percent of their points in transition and offensive rebounds," Davert said. "The keys for us tonight was get back on defense and not let them rebound the ball offensively."

The Coyotes led 43-32 at halftime and used a 10-0 run -- eight by Sims -- to build the 75-61 lead. But they couldn't maintain the intensity.

"I think we lost a little bit of our composure, and on the defensive end got comfortable with our lead and slacked off," Sims said. "When we tried to pick it back up, they were already back in the game."

Eric Hammond scored 13, Brad Wespieser 12 and Romero Hood 10 for Wesleyan. Hood also had a team-best eight rebounds while Hammond had seven assists.

Wesleyan goes on the road Saturday for a game at Sterling, starting at about 7 p.m. in Gleason P.E. Center.

* Sports editor Bob Davidson can be reached at 822-1404, or by e-mail at bdavidson@salina.com

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