WINFIELD, Kan – Wednesday, December 6, 2023 (11)Southwestern College (10-0, 5-0) defeated Bethel College (4-6,3-1) at historic Stewart Field House, 71-58.
Bethel's defense contested and ran, sharpshooter
Cevin Clark, off the three-point line the entire night.
Clark didn't connect on a single three-point shot, 0-4. So Clark was forced to dig into his bag of tricks.
Off the dribble jumpers, spin moves, tear drop floaters, jump stops, pass fakes, shot fakes, buckets, he finished with 30 points. Clark was 13-26 from the field and 4-5 from the free throw line to lead all scorers.
Clark is currently, the second leading scorer in the nation at 26.5 ppg, behind Gabe Newhof's 27.9 ppg, of Spring Arbor University in Michigan.
For the first eight minutes of the first half both teams began trading baskets like prize fighters. 6-7 at the 15:28 mark, Southwestern trailed.
14:27 mark Southwestern still trailed 8-9. Bethel's Eli Wiseman would connect on a three pointer, 9-11, Southwestern still trailing at the 13:48 mark.
Ten seconds later,
Trey Abasolo would find Clark for an easy deuce in the paint, 10-11, Southwestern still trailing.
At the 12:40 mark, Abasolo connected with Wyat Bell for a game tying three-pointer, 13-13, but Carmelo Yakubu would answer for the Threshers with a layup, Bethel back in front, 13-15.
12:06 left and
Justin DeMaria checked into the game and found Abasolo on the wing, who would drain the three-pointer, Builders take the lead, 16-15. But again, Bethel had an answer, Jared Richardson would score in the paint, 17-16 Threshers.
Both team's defense would lock up the next two minutes of play until two DeMaria free throws put the Builders ahead, 18-17.
And the Moundbuilders stamina began to pull away from the Threshers, Abasolo found DeMaria who nailed a three-pointer, 21-17, then six possessions later, Thiessen kicked it out to DeMaria who connected again from downtown, another three, Builders up 24-17.
A jumper from Clark with 5:03 left, 26-19.
Yakubu would hit again, 26-22, but
Andrew O'Brien found
Trey White for a big three, his first of two, 29-22 Builders, 4:17 left in the first half.
Again both team's defenses clamped down for a three minute spread until Yakubu finished another layup but Clark immediately answered with a tough finish of his own, 31-24 with a minute remaining, and that would finish the scoring in the first half.
31-24 at the break.
After Bethel held Clark to 10 first half hard earned points, he exploded for 20 second half points and zero three pointers. In the biggest run of the second half, Clark scored on five consecutive possessions.
Southwestern pulled away, building as much as a 17-point second half lead.
Bethel got as close as four points for two possessions, but Abasolo hit a 15-footer pull up jumper to push the lead back up to six and never looked back.
The Builders secured the 71-58 win at home.
O'Brien had six points, five rebounds, three assists. White finished with six points, one rebound.
Zach Hidalgo controlled the boards with 11 rebounds and added in two assists.
Once again Southwestern's bench outscored Bethel, 27-14. Led by DeMaria, who finished with 11 points, three rebounds and one assist.
Off the bench, Thiessen finished with eight points, five rebounds. Abasolo added in five points, three assists. And Bell dropped in three points, four rebounds.
Yakubu finished with 22 points, but Southwestern held all other Bethel scorers to single digits.
It doesn't get any easier for Southwestern. The Moundbuilders will take their undefeated record on the road, Saturday, December 9 at Friends University (4-5, 3-1), tip off at 3PM.
