WINFIELD, Kan. — Southwestern College used a dominant stretch late in the first half and carried that momentum the rest of the way to earn a 75-60 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over Bethany College on Saturday night inside Stewart Fieldhouse.
The Moundbuilders improved to 7-4 overall and 3-4 in KCAC play, while Bethany dropped to 4-7 on the season and 0-7 in conference action.
The opening ten minutes featured a back-and-forth battle before Southwestern seized control with a decisive run. The Moundbuilders closed the half on a six-minute 17-8 surge to build a 36-25 advantage with three minutes remaining, then carried a 40-30 lead into the break. Southwestern shot 51 percent from the field in the first half and limited the Swedes to 35 percent shooting.
Southwestern quickly put the game out of reach early in the second half, opening on a 9-0 run that forced a Bethany timeout. Relentless defensive pressure from the Moundbuilders stifled any sustained response, and Bethany never found consistent rhythm offensively.
The Swedes trimmed the deficit to 55-43 at the 12-minute mark, but Southwestern answered with poise, methodically closing out the contest to secure the 15-point win.
Wyatt Bell led the Moundbuilders with a double-double, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Nigel John added 19 points and eight rebounds, while Evan Barber chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and a team-high eight assists. Zach Hidalgo provided a strong presence on the glass with 11 rebounds to go along with six points, and Austin Hilton continued his recent strong play off the bench, contributing 15 points and seven rebounds to spark Southwestern.
Bethany finished the night shooting 35 percent from the field and connected on 12-of-31 attempts from beyond the arc (38 percent). The Swedes were efficient at the free-throw line, shooting 85 percent, but generated just two second-chance points. Bethany received 20 points from its bench and scored 12 points in the paint.
Southwestern shot 48.5 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range, while converting 71.4 percent from the free-throw line on seven attempts. The Moundbuilders dominated inside with 48 points in the paint, added 15 bench points and 12 second-chance points, and out-rebounded Bethany 43-21. Southwestern also finished with 16 assists compared to Bethany's 11.
Saturday's contest marked Southwestern's final conference game until January 3, when the Moundbuilders travel to York, Nebraska, to face York University at 3 p.m. inside the Freeman Center.
Southwestern will return to non-conference action on Saturday, December 20, in Temple Terrace, Florida, against Florida College (4-10). Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 Eastern Time (11:00 a.m. Central).
