BETHANY, WV – Senior British Alexander (Dayton, Ohio/Trotwood Madison) and junior Nick Wilcox (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) both had double-doubles to lift the Bethany College men’s basketball team to an 89-74 victory over Thomas More Saturday.
The Bison, who received votes in last week’s D3Hoops.com Top 25 poll, continued their best opening stretch to a season since 1963-64 with the win, as they are now 8-0 overall and 3-0 in the PAC. The Saints suffered their first conference loss of the year to drop to 3-1 and stand at 7-2 overall.
Thomas More was hot from the arc early on, as two threes from Todd Krohman and one from Ryan Hamm staked the visitors to a 20-15 lead with 12 minutes left in the half. Bethany responded with eight straight points to take the lead for good. That also started BC on a 32-11 half-ending run and a late trey from Wilcox, who netted 14 before the break, helped the Bison carry a 47-31 lead into the locker room.
The big numbers in the first half were Bethany’s 7-for-11 shooting from deep and a huge 27-10 rebounding advantage for the Green and White, which included a 10-2 margin on the offensive glass.
A couple early buckets in the second half by Alexander took the BC lead to 17, but the Saints started chipping away at their deficit. Guard Spencer Berlekamp notched five to key a 14-4 spurt from Thomas More that brought them within 55-48 with 13 minutes to go.
Bethany answered a short time later with an 8-2 run that included two scores by junior Reece Mabery (Natrona Heights, Pa./Highlands) that extended the Green and White lead back to 67-52. The Bison were able to seal the win at the foul line, making 10 free throws in the final six minutes and finishing the contest shooting 86 percent (18-21) from the charity stripe. With their eighth win in a row, BC has matched its longest winning streak since taking eight straight during the 2007-08 campaign.
Five players finished in double digits for Bethany, led by the two double-doubles. Wilcox compiled 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four steals, while Alexander totaled 18 markers, 15 boards and a pair of blocks. Mabery tied Wilcox for game-high honors with 19 points. Rounding out the top scorers was junior Brady Pacific (Avonmore, Pa./Kiski) with 15 points and a career-high six assists and sophomore Leslie Addy (Columbia, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) with 12 points and four steals.
Krohamn paced the Saints, as he hit five three-pointers to tally 17 and center Colt Stafford registered a double-double as well with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Bethany will have a short recovery time before returning to the court. The Bison are back in action Monday for a non-conference road game at Frostburg State, which is set for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
(Photo courtesy of Martin Santek Photography)
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