Jan 02, 2013
After using a 17-2 run to build a double-digit halftime lead, senior Brady Pacific heated up in the second half, scoring 12 of his game-high 20 points to help send the Bethany men's basketball team to a 76-51 triumph at Westminster Wednesday night.
The victory keeps the Bison in first place in the PAC with a 5-0 mark in the conference and 11-2 overall. The Titans fall to 4-9 and 0-5 in the league.
The opening half was close until the Bethany defense sparked a major run to close the stanza. Westminster was in front 7-6 on a three-pointer by Doug Smith, but BC scored seven of the next nine points, with five coming from junior point guard Lawrence Weldon, and the Green and White never trailed again. They were not able to pull away from the Titans early on, as Bethany led by just three at 23-20 with 9:13 to go following a lay-up from Westminster's Paul Carswell.
That would be the final field goal of the half for the home team however, as Bethany closed the period with a 17-2 run. The Bison defense forced nine of Westminster's 18 first-half turnovers to fuel the surge. The final miscue was a steal by senior Nick Wilcox and he finished on the other end off an assist from Weldon just before the halftime buzzer to give BC a 40-22 lead at the break.
The Titans broke their long scoring drought with a basket on its initial possession and twice they trimmed the deficit to 15. Both times, the Bison answered on the other end with three-pointers from Pacific and Bethany remained in control. Westminster made one more push to get back in the game, going on an 8-1 run to get within 13 and they were down 56-42 after a Ron Martino hoop at the midway point of the second half.
Once again, Pacific would have an answer, as he swished a trey two possessions later. That initiated a 9-1 run by the Green and White, which was capped by another Pacific trifecta, and Bethany would continue to pull away down the stretch to claim the 25-point victory.
The Bison's long-range shooters, who went 6-for-7 from the arc in the second half, were led by Pacific, as he was 4-for-4 from deep after halftime to pile up a game-high 20 points. Wilcox posted another strong outing with 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals and junior Leslie Addy reached double figures with 16. Weldon turned in a solid line as well, as he amassed seven points, eight assists and five steals.
Westminster, who committed 26 turnovers in the game and shot just 22 percent (4-18) from three-point land, was led by Smith with 17 and Anthony Thomas with 10.
Bethany goes back on the road Saturday for a key early-season conference tilt. The Bison will play at Saint Vincent in a 3 p.m. tip-off Saturday in Latrobe. The Bearcats (9-4) used a three-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime at Thiel Wednesday and they would pull out a 61-57 win to remain unbeaten in the conference as well as 4-0.