Joyce Shines as Bison Men's Basketball Downs Washington & Jefferson

Jan. 17 – BETHANY, W. Va. – Becoming the first Bison since Keith Schubert in 2002 to score 30 points in back-to-back contests, senior guard Delonte' (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) Joyce dropped 32 to help the Bison men's basketball team (8-8, 3-4 PAC) defeat Washington & Jefferson, 78-69, on Saturday afternoon.

The game proved to be a back-and-forth affair through the first 10 minutes of the contest. The teams found themselves knotted at 15-15 on a free-throw by Jeff Joynes (Baltimore, Md./Poly) with 10:54 to play in the opening half.

It was from there that the Bison seized first control of the game, using a 15-1 run to open a 14-point cushion. Alan Harper (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) knocked in a triple to get the run started and was immediately followed by a three from Pedro Lalor (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips). Joyce then got himself going with a steal and fast-break score, contributing to a personal 9-0 run for the senior guard. His run was capped by a three-point basket with 6:16 to play in the frame, and the Bison were out to a 30-16 lead.

Washington & Jefferson would chip away at the Bison advantage, eventually getting the Green & White's lead down to seven points (34-27) on a three by Tanner Huffman. However, Darrian Bruster (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) would burry the last shot of the half, and the Bison would go into the break with a 36-27 lead.

Joyce led the way for the Bison in the first half, scoring 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, which included converting on 3-of-6 from behind the three-point line.

Early in the second half, the Presidents were able to trim the lead back down to seven points (42-35) before the Bison quickly responded with back-to-back threes from Joyce and Bruster to extend the lead back to 13 (48-35) with 13:49 remaining.

The Green & White were still holding a 13-point lead (52-39) with 11:56 to play, when W&J made its biggest push of the ball game. Washington & Jefferson would outscore the Bison 21-10 over a six-minute span to cut the Bison lead to two (62-60) with 5:09 to play.

Not to be deterred, Bethany would immediately respond with a 7-0 run, including a three from Joynes and four points from Joyce. Joyce's last basket would extend the lead to 69-60 with 3:25 to play, and the Bison would hold off the Presidents the rest of the way for the 78-69 victory.

In the win, Joyce became the first Bison in nearly 13 years to score 30+ points in back-to-back games. Joyce finished the contest with 32 on 11-of-18 shooting from the field. He also shot 4-of-9 from behind the three-point line, and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. He becomes the first Bison since Schubert scored 37 and 41 points in back-to-back games in the first two rounds of the Division III NCAA National Championship Tournament on February 28 and March 2 of 2002.

Joyce also played a solid, all-around game in the win, adding six steals, five rebounds and four assists to his point total.

Harper, Bruster and Lalor all also played well in the win. Harper scored a career-high 15 points while adding five rebounds. Bruster recorded his second-straight double-double, posting 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Lalor played well from the point, finishing the contest with nine points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal. He also helped control the tempo of the game, aiding the Bison to just nine turnovers while posting a season-best 19 assists.

Defensively, the Bison played well, forcing W&J into 17 team turnovers, including 12 Bison steals. It marked the eighth time this season that the Green & White have eclipsed 10 steals in a game, with the team posting a 7-1 record in those contests.  

Bethany will be back in action on Wednesday, January 21, as they travel to Grove City, Pa. for a conference clash with Grove City College. The contest is slated for an 8 p.m. start.