(BETHANY, W.Va.) - Junior point guard Spencer Berlekamp (Cincinnati, Ohio/Kings) scored a game-high 14 points to lead the Thomas More College men's basketball team to a 63-51 win over Bethany College tonight (Wednesday, January 16, 2013) in a battle of first place teams in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) at Nutting Gymnasium in Hummel Field House in Bethany, West Virginia.

With the win, the Saints improve to 14-3 overall and 7-1 in the PAC.  Thomas More ends the first of PAC play tied for first place in the conference with Saint Vincent College.  With the loss, the Bison fall to 12-5 overall and 6-2 in the PAC.

Bethany took an early 13-5 lead when James Barton made a three-pointer with 11:46 to play in the first half.  Thomas More answered with a 23-3 run to take a 28-16 lead with 1:29 to play in the half when junior small forward Brandon Housley (Covington, Ky./Holmes) made a lay-up.  The Bison cut the lead to 28-21 at halftime when Brady Pacific made a three-pointer with 41-seconds to play in the first half to cap a 5-0 Bison run.

Thomas More opened the second half on a 25-15 run to extend the lead to 53-36 with 7:26 to play in the game when Berlekamp made a three-pointer.  Bethany used a 14-8 run to cut the lead to 61-50 when Reece Mabery made a three-pointer with 1:01 to play in the game.  That would be as close as Bethany would come as Thomas More went onto the 63-51 victory.

Joining Berlekamp in double-figure scoring was junior point guard D'Carlo Hayes (Louisville, Ky./Male) with 10 points.  Housley led the team in rebounding with six boards and in steals with three.

Thomas More begins the second half of PAC play on Saturday (January 19) when it travels to Grove City, Pennsylvania to play Grove City College at 3 p.m. inside Grove City Arena.