NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Bethel Pilots (3-3) faced the Holy Cross Saints (4-2) in their first road game this season in McKenna Arena Saturday and fell behind early from a 21-10 Holy Cross first quarter.
Freshman Justyce Williams dropped a career-high 22 points from an impressive 10-14 shooting from the floor and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, surpassing her 13 points against the Defiance Yellow Jackets on Nov. 8.
Fellow freshman Isabel Scales ended the game with 10 points for a career-high after hitting nine points in three games this season (Cleary, Cornerstone, and IUSB).
The Pilots were beaten on the offensive boards by a 17-6 margin and 40-31 in total rebounds. The Saints’ 17 offensive rebounds gave them 21 points, coupled with their 16 points off turnovers.
It took two minutes and four seconds for Holy Cross to break to 0-0 tie in the opening minutes of the game, but after Scales jumper to tie the game 2-2 at 7:24, Holy Cross broke away to a seven-point advantage 13-6 at 4:28 in the first quarter.
The Saints ended the first up 21-10 and hit the 20-point mark at 6:32 in the second, 30-10. Williams hit a jumper at 1:11 in the second to drop the gap to 19 points and hit another close-range two with 27 seconds left in the half and went into halftime down 38-21.
Scales hit a two at 8:49 in the third (40-27) to drop the Saints’ advantage to 13, but HC rose to 51-29 at 2:52. Then, with 22 seconds to go in the quarter, HC added to the lead with a pair at the line, 58-32. Smith would get on the last bucket before the end of the quarter with 14 seconds left to end the third 58-34.
The Pilots brought the deficit back down to 17 from Scales jumper, but it would not be enough, and they would lose to the Saints 68-53.
Bethel prepares to begin Crossroads League play with the Goshen Maple Leafs in the US Highway 20 Cup on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m. in the Gates Gymnasium.