Dec 30, 2011
The Bethany College men's basketball team recovered from its first loss of the season with an 84-38 victory over Vaughn (N.Y.) College in the consolation game of the Staten Island Tournament Friday evening.
The Bison, who suffered a hard-fought setback to Illinois Wesleyan in Thursday's opening round, raised their record to 11-1, while Vaughn dropped to 4-9.
Bethany scored the first eight points of the game and kept pulling away from their foe throughout the first half. By the end of the period, BC had rolled to a 50-20 lead with ten different players scoring and the Green and White shooting 58 percent (22-38) from the floor.
The big lead allowed the Bison to rest their starters for the second half and Bethany's bench stepped up, particularly on the defensive side, as Vaughn made just 23 percent (7-31) from the field. The BC reserves closed the game with a 21-3 run to complete the largest win by the program since a 112-31 triumph over Penn State-Fayette in Nov., 2008.
Pacing the dozen Bison who hit the scorebook was freshman forward Ray Neal with 14 points, 12 rebounds and four steals, his first career double-double. Senior Ryan Summers went 4-for-6 from the arc to finish with a career-high 12 points as well as five steals. Senior British Alexander totaled 11 points in 13 first-half minutes.
The game was the last non-conference tilt of the season for the Bison, who return to the PAC slate Jan. 4 with a road game at Washington & Jefferson. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.