UPLAND, Ind. — The undefeated streak in the Crossroads League remains intact as the No. 10 Bethel Pilots (16-3, 9-0) bested the Taylor Trojans (11-8, 4-5) in Odle Arena 74-62 on Saturday.
Trent Edwards scored a team-leading 15 points off 6-13 shooting and tallied six assists to extend his current double-digit scoring streak to five consecutive games and recorded 12 this season.
Alonas Peciulis dropped 12 points on a nearly perfect 5-6 from the floor and three rebounds, with Colin Comer ending the day with 11 points, his first double-digit game since the Marian Knights on the eighth of January where he had 12.
Bethel averaged a point per offensive rebound by scoring 11 points off second chances and tallied 11 off the offensive glass, which surpassed the Trojan’s five second-chance points and nine offensive rebounds.
The Pilots started the game down seven at 13:43 off a dunk by Top 100 Bevo Francis nominee Anton Webb to give TU a 17-10 advantage, but at 7:53 in the first, a 7-0 run brought the game down to a one-point difference with Taylor holding onto the lead 26-25 at 6:20.
BU got over the hump and took a one-point lead at 3:43 with Austin Cripe’s triple 32-31.
The battle continued with both sides trading buckets before Preston Phillips had the last say with a layup at 1:28 to go into halftime with a 37-34 lead.
The opening of the second half saw a healthy two-possession lead until the Trojans took back the lead 49-47 off two successful possessions, a three-point-play at 11:16, followed by a deep ball at 10:57.
Luke McBride tied the game 51-51 with a jumper at 9:52, then the Pilots went on an 18-6 run to spark an 11-point lead by 1:38 to go in regulation, then left Odle Arena with the 74-62 win.
Bethel maintains a two-game advantage over the Grace Lancers for the top of the Crossroads League standings, and Taylor sits in sixth place above Mount Vernon Nazarene at 3-5 and below Spring Arbor at 5-4, tied with Huntington for fourth and the last spot to host the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinal.
The Pilots begin the second round of the Crossroads League season with the renewal of the US Highway 20 Cup and the 122nd meeting between the Maple Leafs and the Pilots in Men’s Basketball on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 3 p.m. in the Ruth Gunden Gymnasium.