by Savannah Studebaker
photo by Becka Roth.
The No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats men’s basketball team lost to the No. 8 Bethel College Pilots 88-85 Saturday.
The game was intense throughout, living up to its NAIA Game of the Week billing. Fueled by the energy of a packed Luckey Arena crowd, both teams played with a fast-paced attack.
Josh Mawhorr (jr) got the Wildcats going in the first half, scoring the first 9 points for IWU. The Pilots shot a scorching 56% from the field in the first half, and the score was tied 49-49 with an exciting second half ahead.
The back-and-forth action continued in the second half as neither team led by more than five points. The game came down to the final minute.
With 27.1 seconds left, Zac Vandewater (sr) made a layup and was fouled. His free throw made the score 85-83 in favor of the Wildcats.
On the next Bethel possession, Clay Yeo (so) hit a three pointer to put the Pilots back on top. Matt Schauss (sr) added two free throws to push the Bethel lead to three with four seconds to go. D.J. Bettinger’s (sr) three-point shot was off line and the Pilots held on 88-85.
photo by Becka Roth.
Five Wildcats finished in double figures. Jonny Marlin (jr) led IWU with 24 points, Lane Mahurin (so) added 18, Mawhorr finished with 15 and Vandewater had 10. Schauss paced the Pilots with 30 points and Yeo added 19.
The Wildcats fall to 20-2 and 8-2 in the Crossroads League, while Bethel improves to 19-3 and 7-3 in league play. IWU goes on the road to play Grace College Tuesday.