Basketball teams split with Avila
Basketball teams split with Avila
Men use big second half to win fourth of their last five.
On Monday night, both Bethel basketball teams took on Avila in KCAC play. The women’s team fell 60-53, while the men’s team completed an 18-point comeback to win 79-76.
Women drop second straight
During the first quarter, junior Jaycee Freshour led Bethel (6-13, 4-10) to an early lead, 17-12, scoring five points while shooting perfect from the field. The second quarter saw the Threshers fall into a slump where they only shot at a 16% clip, scoring just eight points and going into halftime tied with Avila (3-18, 3-12) at 25.
The third quarter was when the Threshers began to unravel as Avila went on a 12-0 run to lead by 11 with two minutes left in the third period. Bethel was eventually able to cut that lead to seven as the third quarter concluded.
The Eagles knocked down the first two shots of the final quarter to bring their lead to 12 and Bethel could never get within six points after that, eventually losing 60-53. Sophomore Josie Stupey led the way for the Threshers with 14 points, followed by Freshour with 12 points and freshman Caryn Yoder with 11.
Freshour finished with her second double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. The women’s team will be back in action on Thursday night against Oklahoma Wesleyan in Bartlesville, Okla., with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m.
Men win fourth of their last five
The men’s team then completed their second double-digit comeback in less than a week, rolling over Avila 79-76 after being down by 18.
Early on in the game, Bethel (11-8, 9-5) had the lead, 10-5, after senior Bryant Mocaby made two threes in the first three minutes of the contest. Avila (4-16, 3-12) then went on a 26-5 run, taking a 16-point lead midway through the first half. Bethel trailed by 17 points at one point and went into halftime down 51-36.
On the opening possession of the second half, the Eagles drilled a three-pointer, giving them their largest lead of the game at 18 points. Then, the Threshers started to gain momentum and went on a 21-7 run, bringing the Avila lead to just four points.
“The turning point for us in the second half was we started dictating instead of reacting,” head Bethel men’s coach Jayson Artaz said. “We finally closed out shooters and we were able to get to the rim. We also had 14 turnovers the first half to only two the second half. So us just cleaning up some things and then being aggressive in the second half really made a difference.”
With eight minutes left to go, the two sides finally broke even at 67. Sophomore Javen Hutton then threw an alley-oop pass to junior Jalyn Todd to keep the Thresher momentum going. Just after that, senior Clifford Byrd II broke away with a steal and a fastbreak layup, giving Bethel a four-point advantage.
Byrd II then scored the rest of the Threshers’ points as Bethel hung on to win, 79-76, and improve to 11-8 overall and 9-5 in conference play.
Freshman Carmelo Yakubu had a successful game, scoring a career-high 20 points and tallying eight rebounds. “It was good to see [Yakubu] finally get aggressive and get himself downhill to score the ball instead of pass,” Artaz said. “I think it all really starts with defense for [him]. When he’s locked in on that end he becomes a lot more aggressive offensively. We need him to continue [that] to be the best we can be.”
Three other Threshers scored in double digits in the contest. Byrd II and Mocaby with 15 points each and Todd with 13. The Thresher men now ready themselves for a date with Oklahoma Wesleyan in Bartlesville, Okla. on Thursday. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m.
“OKWU is the [second-ranked] team in the country, so they’re obviously very good,” Artaz said. “We really need to defend the paint well and guard cutters. Defensively, we have to be physical and rebound well because they’re an unbelievable rebounding team. … We’re excited for the challenge.”