NORTH NEWTON, Kan. — The Bethel College women's basketball team continued its strong run through conference play with an 81–44 win over Southwestern on Wednesday evening inside Thresher Gym. The victory lifts the Threshers to 14–7 overall and 11–4 in KCAC play, extending their winning streak to five games and moving them into a tie for third place in the conference standings, just one game back of 2nd place Friends.

Bethel set the tone early, opening the game with a dominant first quarter and never looking back. The Threshers built a 24–4 advantage after the opening 10 minutes and followed it up with consistent scoring and pressure on both ends throughout the night.

Junior guard Kendall Locke led the way with 17 points while stuffing the stat sheet with 10 assists, nine rebounds, six steals, and two blocks, controlling the tempo from start to finish. Karlee Locke added an efficient 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while also contributing six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.

Madyson McKinzie finished with 11 points and six rebounds, and Emersyn Eischen provided a spark with nine points and four rebounds in limited minutes. Bethel's depth was on full display, as the Threshers received scoring contributions from multiple players off the bench, finishing with 26 bench points.

Defensively, Bethel held Southwestern to just 24.2 percent shooting from the field and forced 20 turnovers, which translated into 28 fast-break points and 54 points in the paint. The Threshers also won the rebounding battle decisively, 49–33, helping maintain control throughout the game.

With the win, Bethel remains firmly in the hunt near the top of the KCAC standings as the regular season enters its final stretch.

The Threshers will return to Thresher Gym on Saturday for a marquee matchup against Evangel. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM, with Evangel currently sitting atop the conference standings and undefeated in KCAC play