MISHAWAKA, Ind. — The Bethel Pilots (24-8, 14-4) advanced out of the Mishawaka Bracket with a 93-84 victory over the Morningside Mustangs to advance to the Round of 16 and await the winner of LSU Alexandria and Nelson (Tex.) for the first matchup at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
Jameir Jefferson had his fourth 20+ point game, the first since 22 points, versus Saint Francis (Ind.) on Dec. 7, 2024. He scored 23 points on 8-12 shooting and a season-high 4-5 from three-point range.
Preston Phillips ended the game with his second double-double of the season, 12 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 3-12 from the floor and 2-4 from downtown.
Colin Comer dropped 19 points on 8-12 shooting from the floor, a crucial 4-7 from deep, and five rebounds. Beau Jacquay also had 19 points on 9-10 shooting.
Bethel took advantage of 17 points off turnovers, forcing 11 from the Mustangs and 21 second-chance points from an impressive 19 offensive boards.
The Pilots began battling inside the arc, keeping pace with the Mustangs, who paced with threes in the early minutes. The game was tied at 8-8 with a dunk by Jacquay at 15:49, then the Mustangs battled back with a three-point play and a triple at 14:51, 14-8.
Comer gave the Pilots a one-point lead at 12:12 from a triple off a steal by Andrew Hedrick, but the back-and-forth continued with a layup at the other end of the floor for MU at 11:42, 19-18.
Bethel found a spark for an 11-point, 32-21, with Austin Cripe hitting a three at 32-21 and maintained a two-possession lead into halftime, 43-39.
Morningside tied the game quickly in the second half, 45-45, with a triple at 19:13 and turned the tide with a four-point lead at 15:51, 53-49.
The game tied two more times in the second half, once from a layup by Jacquay at 13:58, 55-55, and again from a jumper by the Mustangs at 11:55, 59-59.
MU hit a triple at 6:10 to take a one-point, 73-72 lead, but Bethel took charge and hit an eight-point advantage with 2:30 to go in regulation 85-77, then won the game 93-84 to punch their ticket to Kansas City.
The Pilots will face the first-seeded LSU-Alexandria for the Round of 16 at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. with the day and time to be announced.