Lady Cats Suffer First Loss in Hard-Fought Battle at UT Southern

PULASKI, Tenn. - The No. 1 Bethel Lady Wildcats saw their 14-game winning streak come to an end Saturday afternoon, falling 84–78 to UT Southern in Pulaski.

Bethel (14-1) controlled much of the afternoon, leading 46–39 at the half and matching UT Southern point-for-point through three quarters. The Lady Cats shot an efficient 50 percent in both the first and second quarters and leaned on balanced scoring to build momentum. Micah Hart led Bethel with a game-high 23 points and eight rebounds, while MJ Simmons added 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Mikee Buchanan chipped in 10 points and six rebounds, and Madison Hart also scored 10, frequently getting to the free-throw line.

UT Southern (10-4) surged in the final frame, shooting 76.9 percent in the fourth quarter to flip the game. Ashley Dickey paced the Firehawks with 24 points, while Silkiari Vazquez-Troche filled the stat sheet with 15 points, 12 assists, and six steals. UT Southern outscored Bethel 28–15 over the final 10 minutes, capitalizing in transition and dominating the paint late.

Despite being outscored inside (56–28), Bethel won the battle off the bench (18–10) and held advantages in second-chance points and three-point shooting. However, a cold fourth quarter—20 percent from the floor—proved costly as UT Southern closed the game at the free-throw line.

Coach Chris Nelson: "I loved our fight for three quarters. We executed, shared the ball, and competed. In the fourth, we didn't get the stops we needed, but this is a learning moment. We'll respond."

The Lady Cats will look to bounce back quickly as they hit the road to Blue Mountain on Monday, carrying lessons from a tough road environment into their next matchup.

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