The Bethany Bison handed the Bearcat men's basketball team its first Presidents' Athletic Conference loss, 72-66 in the Carey Center.

The teams traded baskets early in the game, with SVC taking a 9-8 lead after back to back scores from Austin Ford.  The Bison then scored the game's next six points to claim a 15-9 advantage at the 14:50 mark of the first half.
 
Coy Patterson Jr found Collin Neville in the paint for a score that made it 17-13 in favor of the Bison.  After a Calique Jones bucket for Bethany,  Patterson scored on a jumper, then again fed to Neville for another score that cut the Bearcat deficit to just two, 19-17. 
 
Later, at the 5:40 mark, a block by Tom Kromka led to a score by Ford to make it a 28-24 score in favor of Bethany, but the Bison then scored the game's next 8 points to extend the lead to twelve, 36-24.
 
Saint Vincent later scored the final four points of the half, on a jumper by Ford and a layup by Kromka, to go into the locker room down nine, 38-29.  Ford had 10 first-half points and seven rebounds to lead the team, while Jason Capco tallied 8 points in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Early in the second half, Matt D'Amico scored on a jumper that made the score 40-34 with just under 18 minutes left.  While it would prove to be the Bearcats' last field goal for more than 12 minutes, SVC spent most of the time at the charity stripe, scoring their next 13 points via free throws.
 
During that stretch, Kromka made six straight shots, while a pair from Ford at the 10:34 mark made it a four-point game, 50-46.  However, the Bison tallied the game's next five points to extend the lead to nine, 55-46.
 
After Patterson's layup at the 5:40 mark, SVC trailed by eight, 59-47, but the visitors, led by Jones, ran the lead back to thirteen, 66-53 at the 2:40 mark.
 
The Bearcats refused to quit, with D'Amico twice stealing inbound passes after SVC scores.  The second time, with 1:23 remaining, turned into a conventional three-point play after drawing a foul, making it a 67-62 game.  However, SVC was unable to convert on their next two trips down the court, and the team was forced to foul. The Bison hit four straight free throws to extend the lead back to eight, and the Bearcats were out of time to come back.
 
Ford led the Bearcats with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.  D'Amico added 13, while Capco and Kromka scored 11 each.  
 
Bethany was led by Jones, who had 22 points and 7 rebounds.  Antonio Rudolph added 13 points and 7 boards.
 
Saint Vincent is now 4-1 in the PAC, 8-4 overall.  Bethany improves to 2-3 in the conference, 7-5 overall.

The Bearcats will face Grove City on the road this Saturday, January 7.