Guiding the Forester effort is 6?1 senior Kyle Benge who averages 18.2 points per game and dishing out 5 assists per contest. 6’7 junior Kevin Kyle is next in line averaging 16.8 ppg and 8 rpg. Another key player for the Foresters is the 6’1 sharpshooting Tyler Shively, who recently broke the NAIA DII record for most consecutive free throws made (70).

Huntington University

• Ranks Number 1 in Division II in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.530)
• Ranks Number 1 in Division II in Free Throw Pct (0.817)
• Ranks Number 2 in Division II in Assists per Game (20.882)
• Ranks Number 5 in Division II in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.415)
• Ranks Number 7 in Division II in Scoring Offense per Game (91.353)
• Ranks Number 12 in Division II in Scoring Margin (16.059)
• Ranks Number 16 in Division II in Field Goal Pct (0.494)
• Ranks Number 18 in Division II in Turnover Margin (3.529)
• Ranks Number 21 in Division II in 3-Pt Fg Made per Game (8.059)
• Ranks Number 22 in Division II in Total Rebound Margin (5.647)
• Ranks Number 24 in Division II in Total Rebound Defense (31.941)

The second half began with the Pilots out-scoring SAU 14-9 to build a seven point cushion at 44-37. The Cougars, however, rallied to trim the deficit to just one (46-45) with 12:00 minutes left to play. Again, Bethel answered with another offensive spurt capped off by a Mark Lettinga basket, giving the Pilots a 10 point lead (60-50) with 6:00 remaining.

The Pilots continued to lead by the score of 63-54 with 3:45 left to play when the Cougars went on a 7-0 run to cut the difference to 63-61. A William Walker basket increased the lead back to four (65-61) before a SAU three-point play with just over 1:00 remaining brought the Cougars to within a single point (65-64). On their next possession, the Pilots were unable to score and SAU followed with a bucket with 0:13 left to take the lead 66-65. After a Bethel timeout, a runner in the lane from Ryne Lightfoot was short and the ensuing tip attempt from Walker rolled around the rim and off as time expired.

For the game, Walker led the Pilots in scoring with 26 while coming up with 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Tyler Brown tallied 19 points and grabbed 8 boards as well for Bethel.

After a program best 17-0 start, the Pilots are now 17-1 and 3-1 in the MCC and will return home to take on Huntington University on Tuesday night, January 6th. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.

Guiding the Cougar prowl is 6’7 junior Rob Boss who averages 14.77 points per game and pulls down 6.47 rebounds per contest. 6’1 senior Josh Brandt averages 12.06 ppg for SAU while 6’2 senior Kevin Ludwig gets 11.60. 5-10 Sophomore guard D.J. Baisden leads the Cougars in assists with 5.24 per game which is good for 16th best in the country.

Spring Arbor has caused Bethel problems since their introduction to the MCC. With a 2-7 head-to-head record the Pilots have tallied only one victory in Spring Arbor, Michigan that dates back to 2005. During last season the two squads split. The Pilots achieved their second overall team victory over SAU on January 23rd 82-79 while SAU wrapped up the 07-08 MCC regular season schedule with a 70-81 decision.

SPRING ARBOR UNIVERSITY COUGARS (15-2, 3-0)

• Ranks Number 4 in Division II in Free Throw Pct (0.744)
• Ranks Number 12 in Division II in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.401)
• Ranks Number 15 in Division II in Turnover Margin (4.000)
• Ranks Number 21 in Division II in Scoring Defense per Game (65.941)
• Ranks Number 26 in Division II in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.075)
• Ranks Number 40 in Division II in Scoring Margin (8.471)
• Ranks Number 43 in Division II in Field Goal Pct Defense (0.425)
• Ranks Number 44 in Division II in Field Goal Pct (0.469)

Tip off for Saturday’s game is set for 3:00 p.m. You can tune in to all the action by clicking: Listen Live%

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Bethel jumped out to an early 18-9 advantage before FMU rallied to take their first lead of the game at 22-21 at the 6:00 mark of the first half. However, the Pilots closed the period with a 14-8 run to take a 35-30 lead into intermission.

The second half began with the Pilots increasing the margin to nineteen (59-40) with a big 24-10 run over the first eleven minutes of the period. FMU did manage to trim the margin to eight at 61-53 with 5:00 remaining, but could get no closer the rest of the way.

Bethel was led in scoring by Tyler Brown who tallied 25 points while hauling down 6 rebounds to go along with 2 steals and 3 blocked shots. Ryne Lightfoot turned in an excellent game as well, scoring 23 points (16 in the first half) and dishing out 6 assists. William Walker poured in 17 points and grabbed 6 boards, and Caleb Laidig came off the bench to contribute 8 points to go along with 4 steals.

Walker was named the tournament MVP with Tyler Brown making all-tournament team honors.

As a team, the Pilots shot very well from the field, hitting 27 of 44 attempts, good for 61%, and continued to hit their free throws well: 16-22, good for 73%.

Bethel will now return to conference play on Saturday, January 3rd, when they travel to Spring Arbor University for a 3:00pm tip-off.

SAINT THOMAS

Bethel College will sqaure off against the host school at 6 o’clock EST. The 6-4 Bobcats are coming into this game with a win over St. Ambrose University 88-64 while averaging 74 points a game for the season. The Cats are led by 6’5 sophomore forward Reggie Owens who averages 19.5 points and 8 rebounds a contest. Another scoring threat for STU is 5’10 junior guard Antonio Jones who contributes 19.4 points per game.

Saint Thomas’ overall statistical ranks in the NAIA D-II:

• Ranks Number 7 in Division II in Steals per Game (11.900)
• Ranks Number 8 in Division II in Total Rebound Defense (30.000)
• Ranks Number 14 in Division II in Total Rebound Margin (8.300)
• Ranks Number 22 in Division II in Scoring Margin (12.300)
• Ranks Number 30 in Division II in Scoring Defense per Game (67.111)

BETHEL COLLEGE

The #2 ranked Bethel Pilots are led by 6’6 senior forward William Walker who is averaging 21 points and 8 rebounds a contest. 4 other Pilots join Walker averaging double-figures. Junior Tyler Brown contributes 16 points, Ryne Lightfoot adds 14 per game while Wes and Caleb Laidig both average 10 points per game. Mark Lettinga is close behind adding 9.4 ppg while Kory Lantz chips in 8.5.

Bethel College’s overall statistical ranks in the NAIA D-II:

• Ranks Number 1 in Division II in Assists per Game (23.067)
• Ranks Number 1 in Division II in Field Goal Pct (0.576)
• Ranks Number 2 in Division II in Scoring Offense per Game (97.000)
• Ranks Number 2 in Division II in Steals per Game (12.867)
• Ranks Number 4 in Division II in Scoring Margin (28.467)
• Ranks Number 5 in Division II in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.420)

We will do our best to update you on the outcome of the game as soon as we can.

The first half began with the teams trading baskets before a bucket from Tyler Brown gave Bethel a six point lead at 19-13 with 12:00 left in the period. The margin remained between 3 and 7 for much of the half until a pair of free throws from Bethel freshman, Jake Everett increased the advantage to nine (34-25) with 2:00 left to play. Moments later, the Pilots took a 36-29 lead into intermission.

The Bobcats began the second period with a quick 13-6 run to tie the game at 42-42. Bethel then answered with six points in a row to re-take a 48-42 lead with 14:00 left to play. But the home team refused to go away as they managed to knot the score once again at 54-54 at the 7:42 mark. The Pilots and Bobcats then traded 5 point runs resulting in the game being tied again at 59-59 with 4:33 remaining. A 6-1 spurt by Bethel put them in front 65-60 with less than two minutes left to play. But St. Thomas responded again with a 7-2 run to tie the game at 67-67 with 0:22 showing on the game clock. Going for the last shot, the Pilots got the ball to William Walker who was hammered going strong to the basket with 1.6 seconds left to play. Walker stepped to the line where he missed the first, but converted the second free throw to put Bethel up 68-67. With no timeouts remaining, the Bobcats attempted to throw long and the pass sailed out of bounds without anyone touching the ball. The Pilots then in bounded the ball to Kory Lantz who was immediately fouled with 0.8 seconds remaining. Lantz proceeded to connect on both charity shots to seal the 70-67 win.

The Bethel bench stepped up and came through with a great effort in this one. Wes Laidig led the way with 23 points on 10 for 15 shooting from the field and grabbed 7 rebounds as well. Stephen Ward played very well for the Pilots in logging 12 quality minutes, particularly on the defensive end of the court. Jake Everett and Joey Welch also contributed good efforts when both Walker and Tyler Brown were saddled with early foul trouble. Brown finished with 14 points and 5 boards while Walker tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds for another double-double. Caleb Laidig chipped in with 4 points and 8 big rebounds off the bench.

Two key team stats in this victory included Bethel?s 45-31 rebounding edge and the Pilots were 16 for 18 from the free throw line (89%) while the Bobcats managed just 67% from the charity line (14-21).

The two-day tournament will conclude on Tuesday night when the Pilots will meet Florida Memorial University at 8:00pm.

Tomorrow the team will have the opportunity to attend the Florida vs. Winthrop basketball game.

The Pilots fly out December 26th for Miami Gardens, Florida where they will participate in the St. Thomas Tournament. They will take on Florida Memorial on the 29th and face the host school, St. Thomas, on the 30th.

We will keep you updated from Florida with full post-game highlights and stats following each game.

With the game tied at 9-9, the Pilots went on a 15-2 run to assume a 24-11 lead midway through the first half. The margin continued to grow and a basket from William Walker gave Bethel their largest lead of the half at 45-27. Three points from IUSB ended the stanza with the Pilots leading 45-30.

The second half began with the Titans out-scoring the Pilots 14-6 to narrow the score to 51-44 with just over 13:00 remaining. However, Bethel tallied eight of the next ten points to restore the lead back to thirteen at 59-46. After a pair of Titan free throws, the Pilots put the game away with an 18-5 run to increase the lead to 77-53. Bethel tallied the game?s final two buckets securing the 30 point margin of victory.

A trio of former Penn High School products, Tyler Brown, Wes Laidig, and Caleb Laidig led the Pilots? offensive attack. The three combined for an amazing 17-20 shooting from the field and 8-8 from the free throw line. Wes Laidig tallied a career high 25 points while William Walker contributed 12 points and 6 rebounds. Caleb Laidig finished with 10 points, 4 boards, 5 assists, and no turnovers for the night. Tyler Brown chipped in with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocked shots at the defensive end.

As a team, the Pilots continued to shoot the ball very well connecting on 67% from the field and 77% from the charity line. Defensively, Bethel held the Titans to just 33% shooting from the field. The all-time series for Bethel/IUSB is now 51-5.

Bethel will now be off until Monday night, December 29th when they will travel to Miami, Florida to take part in the St. Thomas University Tournament. On the 29th, the Pilots will meet St. Thomas University at 8:00pm.

It doesn’t matter what team has more wins, who has the most tradition or the amount of fans one program has over the other. When it comes to the local rivalry of Bethel and Indiana University-South Bend it boils down to “who wants it more.”

Last season in Mishawaka the Titans brought a fiery bunch into the Wiekamp Athletic Center and stunned the Pilots in an overtime thriller to snap a long drought against their cross-town foe since the early 90’s. Through the course of that game it was evident as to who wanted to win more than the other. It was a hunger to be the spoiler and in this unique rivalry, all current records are thrown aside and players step their game to a higher level.

This season the Pilots had the opportunity to revenge their local rival as they hosted IUSB early in the season on November 12th. Last years ‘wake-up call’ was all the motivation Bethel needed as they came away with a 79-57 victory. In that contest William Walker led the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds, Tyler Brown added 19 and Ryne Lightfoot tallied 16. The #2 ranked Pilots are now standing at 14-0 which is the second best start in Bethel basketball history since the 1999-2000 team which went 16-0. IUSB wishes once again to be the spoiler in the Pilots effort to be flawless through one semester of basketball.

Today at 7 the two local teams will clash again on the campus of IUSB in their Student Activities Center. You can listen online at: www.rrsn.com

After the Eagles hit the opening bucket, the Pilots took control of the first half with a 15-2 run to gain the 11 point lead at the 14:36 mark. The Pilots continued to stretch the lead throughout the first half as they held Judson to just 35% shooting. A Caleb Laidig free throw at the 3:39 mark gave the Pilots their largest first half lead of 20 points.

Judson started the second half off strong as they cut the Pilot lead to just eight points at the 16:34 mark of the second half. The Pilot lead stayed near ten points for the next ten minutes of play as the two teams traded buckets before Bethel was able to put Judson away for good. Bethel?s largest lead of the day (24 points) came as Mark Lettinga sank a shot with 1:29 to play.

Both Ryne Lightfoot and Tyler Brown had 20+ point performances with Lightfoot leading the way with 28 points and Brown adding 22 points. The Pilots shot 55% for the game including an amazing 70% (21 for 30) in the second half.

Following the game, the All-Tournament team was announced. Bethel?s Kory Lantz, Tyler Brown, and William Walker were named to the team with Walker taking Tournament MVP honors.

Up next for the Pilots, is a re-match with cross-town rival IUSB. The Pilots will visit the Titians Wednesday evening starting at 7:00 pm.

T.I.U had its only lead at 2-0 until the Pilots went on a 10-0 run to secure an 8 point lead. From there on it was all Bethel as the defensive intensity forced 28 Trojan turnovers. The first half was capitalized on back-to-back William Walker slam-dunks. Walker led all scorers with 27 points and 6 rebounds. He has now joined the elite group of the Pilots 1,000 Rebound Club.

5 Pilots reach double figures as Ryne Lightfoot had 15 points and 7 assists for BC. Wes Laidig and Tyler Brown both added 14 apiece while Caleb Laidig added 11. Freshmen Stephen Ward came off the bench to chip in 9 for the Pilots.

Bethel will play Judson University Saturday at 3 in the final game of the 40th annual Gates Classic

In a game that featured a starting line-up of Caleb and Wes Laidig, Joey Welch and Derek Moser the five-some got the Pilots off to a 14-2 lead before a quick Holy Cross timeout. It was all Bethel from the tip as they went into the half with a 57-21 lead.

In the second half it was more of Bethel as Mark Lettinga put together a great game of basketball finishing with 35 pointts and 14 rebounds.

Scoring Breakdown

• Joey Welch: 22 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 steals

• Wes Laidig: 22 points, 6 rebounds

• Caleb Laidig: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 9 steals, 2 blocks

• Stephen Ward: 9 points, 7 assists

• Josh Miller: 5 points

In the second half Goshen connected on their first two possessions to cut to within 10. Bethel answered with a 14-2 run that put them up by 20. The lead would hold at 20 for the latter part of the second half. The effort from the starters to the bench enabled 7 Pilots to be in double figures with the 88-64 victory moving Bethel’s overall record to 11-0 on the season and 3-0 in conference play.

The Pilots were led by Tyler Brown’s 14 points while grabbing 5 boards. Kory Lantz had 13 points to go along with a terrific defensive effort on Goshen’s Errick McCollum. William Walker added 12 points and 8 rebounds in just 20 minutes of action. Ryne Lightfoot had a double-double with 11 points while dishing out 10 assists with only 1 turnover. Caleb Laidig also chipped in with 11 points and 8 boards. Mark Lettinga and Wes Laidig both added 10 points respectively.

Bethel’s next contest is Tuesday night as they host Holy Cross College at 7:30 p.m.