Foresters’ Season Ends in Round of 32 with Loss to Host Bethel

MCKENZIE, Tenn. - The Huntington women's basketball team saw its postseason run come to an end Saturday night with a 73-56 loss to host and top-seeded Bethel (Tenn.) in second-round action of the NAIA National Tournament presented by Ballogy inside Crisp Arena.

The defeat closes the book on another strong campaign for Coach Darby Maggard's squad, which finishes the year 19-12 overall after advancing to the Round of 32 for the second straight season. Huntington reached the second round by knocking off 8th-seeded Oregon Tech, 57-52, in Friday's opening round matchup.

Saturday's contest proved challenging from the start as the Wildcats — ranked third nationally in the final NAIA Coaches' Poll — jumped out to an early lead.

Bethel opened the game on a 9-0 run during the first five minutes before the Foresters found their footing behind Liv Raby's bucket in the paint. Shortly after, Annaka Nelson and Kyndra Sheets combined for the next four points to bring Huntington back within striking distance.

However, Sheets' jumper with 2:46 remaining in the first quarter proved to be Huntington's final points of the period. The Foresters endured a scoring drought that stretched into the second quarter while Bethel rattled off 12 unanswered points, building a double-digit advantage.

Facing a deficit that swelled to 15 points, Huntington methodically chipped away and trailed 38-28 at halftime. The Foresters continued to battle in the third quarter. Nelson energized the bench with a coast-to-coast layup following a steal, trimming the deficit to 48-41 midway through the frame. Bethel answered with another push, however, stretching the lead back to 14 points heading into the final quarter.

The Wildcats maintained their cushion in the fourth, outscoring Huntington by three in the period to seal the victory and advance to the final site in Sioux City, where the remaining 16 teams will compete for the national championship and the coveted Red Banner.

Huntington shot an efficient 47.7 percent from the floor (21-for-44) and 33.3 percent from three-point range (5-for-15) while connecting on 9-of-12 free throws. Bethel finished the night shooting 45.9 percent (28-for-61) and forced 25 Forester turnovers, which proved pivotal in the outcome.

Raby paced Huntington with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting while adding five rebounds and a block. Kyndell Jochim contributed 11 points, hitting three triples, while Addie Shank added eight points and five rebounds.

Peyton Hartsough chipped in seven points and four assists, and Izzy Shepherd added five points off the bench on a perfect shooting night.

For Bethel, Micah Hart led all scorers with a game-high 31 points while adding six rebounds and four steals. Mikee Buchanan recorded 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while MJ Simmons finished with 12 points and Madison Hart added 10 points and five assists to help lead the Wildcats to the Round of 16.

With the win, Bethel advances to the final site in Sioux City as one of 16 teams still in pursuit of a national title.

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 181 NAIA All-America honors and 631 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. Huntington has a top quartile ranking in the 2026 U.S. News Best Regional Universities Midwest Rankings.