The Bearcat men's basketball team overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to take a late game lead, but the Bethany Bison came back to post an 81-76 victory, Saint Vincent's first conference loss of the season.

The Bison started strong, building an 8-2 lead through the first three minutes, with SVC managing just a pair of free throws. 
 
Saint Vincent didn't score its first field goal until the 14:25 mark, when Pat Jones drove and scored, making it 12-5 in favor of Bethany.
 
A three by Alan Harper at the 12:17 mark ran the Bison lead to 19-5, and the lead was 16 points at the midway point of the half after a Chris Harris score (24-8).
 
A Ben Klimchock three at the 6:27 mark made the score 31-18, then Bobby Swartwout added four consecutive points to make it a 9-point game near the five-minute mark. 
 
SVC then got the hot hand and the momentum, with back-to-back threes by Swartwout and JC Howard cutting the gap to just five, 33-28.  However, the Bison then regrouped and went on an 11-3 run over the final four minutes to take a 44-31 lead into the break.
 
The Bearcats hit four three-pointers in the first four minutes of the second half, three by Jaylon Bell and one by Klimchock, cutting the gap to just six, 49-43, before the Bison again recovered.  A Nick Metz layup with 15:15 made the score 56-44, and Metz then came up with a steal and fast break dunk just seconds later, extending the lead to 14.
 
Saint Vincent then stormed back.  A floater by Klimchock at the 13:45 mark made the score 58-48, then after a free throw by Bethany, SVC scored seven straight points, including five more from Klimchock, to get within four, 59-55, with 11:24 remaining. 
 
The lead was cut in half at the 9:20 mark, when SVC got a 2-on-1 break, witj Jones dishing to Klimchock who hit a long two-pointer to make it a 61-59 game. 
 
The game became tied for the first time after three points from Swartwout, two on a layup and one on a free throw 16 seconds later, at the 7:28 mark, making it 65-65. 

After Bethany hit a shot to retake the lead, SVC responded with points in the paint from Austin Dedert and Pat Jones, taking their first lead, 69-67, with 4:17 remaining. 
 
However, Bethany refused to give up, scoring four straight points of their own to regain the lead, 71-69.   It took nearly two minutes for the game's next bucket, as Bell drove the length of the court and scored on an underhanded layup to tie the game, 71-71 with 1:52 left.
 
With 1:30 left, Jerron Athey scored on a floater to give the Bison the lead, and SVC missed a shot on its next possession.  The hosts grabbed the rebound and Calique Jones scored with 55 ticks left to make it 75-71.  SVC again was unable to score, and was forced to foul.  Down 76-71, Swartwout hit a three with 31 seconds left, followed immediately by a Bearcat time out.    
 
A Saint Vincent foul with 23.5 seconds left sent Calique Jones to the line for a one-and-one, and he hit both shots, making it a four-point lead, 78-74.
 
Howard drew a foul and made both shots, once again making it a two-point game.  After a Bethany time out, SVC was again forced to foul, and the Bison hit both shots to put the game out of reach.

The Bearcats had three players in double figures, led by Bell with 21.  Swartwout had a double-double, with a career high 18 points to go along with 11 rebounds.  Klimchock added 16.  Bell also had 7 rebounds and 7 assists on the afternoon.  For Bethany, Jones had 17 points.

Saint Vincent is now 9-1 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference and hold a one-game lead over second place Thomas More.  SVC is 13-4 overall.  Bethany improves to 7-3 in the conference and 11-6 overall.

SVC will make its first ever trip to Chatham University on Wednesday (January 27) for a game against the first-year Cougar program.