McKENZIE, Tenn. - For a while on Saturday, the Mid-Continent University women's basketball team hung in the game on the road at NAIA #23 Bethel University. In the end, the Wildcats prevailed, though the game proved to be only a prelude to the TranSouth Tournament.

Bethel (20-9, 4-4) took the win from Mid-Continent (8-21, 0-8) 92-60, however, just moments after earning the victory, the Wildcats learned that they would be the fourth seed in the opcoming TranSouth Tournament, and that they would be seeing the Cougars again in just three days.

Twice in the early going, Mid-Continent held the lead, with Lindsey Woody and Stephanie Malone each giving Mid-Continent one-point advantages, but Bethel used an 11-0 run to take a 19-9 lead at the 12:35 mark of the first half. Though Mid-Continent were unable to close the gap to fewer than eight points, they also did not let the Lady Wildcats pull away, as Bethel held the lead 45-30 at intermission. In the opening moments of the second half, Mid-Continent pulled to within eight points again at 45-37 when Breona Houston cashed in a pair of free throws with 18:18 left in the game. The Cougars held close through the 16:00 mark, but then the Wildcats began to slowly draw away. Alisha Gentry converted a 3-point play with 12:03 to go to give Bethel a 20-point lead for the first time on the afternoon, and Bethel was never threatened after that, taking the win 92-60.

Woody and Malone were the only two Cougars in double figures, scoring 17 and 13 points respectively. Malone's 13-point effort put her over the 500 point mark on the season, marking just the second time a Mid-Continent basketball player - men's or women's - has eclipsed the 500 point mark in a single campaign. Kenny Thomas accomplished the feat for the Mid-Continent men's team during the 2009-10 season.

As a team, Mid-Continent shot 16-for-49 (32.7%) from the floor, and 8-for-20 (40%) from long range. At the foul line, Mid-Continent converted 20-of-27 (74.1%) attempts.

Bethel finished in a three-way tie for second place in the TranSouth regular season standings, and the tie was so tight, that it required a coin flip to be broken, which the Wildcats lost. As a result, Mid-Continent will make the trip back to McKenzie on Tuesday evening for the first round of the TranSouth Tournament, facing the Wildcats at 7 p.m.