MISHAWAKA, Ind. — The NorthWood High School alum Trent Edwards dropped a career-high 30 points against the (RV) Saint Francis Cougars on 13-for-20 (65%) shooting from the floor on Saturday in the No. 22 Bethel Pilots’ 95-78 win.
The Pilots scored 19 points off 14 Cougars turnovers and grabbed 15 second-chance points. Jameir Jefferson went for 20+ points with 22, which is the third game this season and second-consecutive game with 21 against Indiana Wesleyan and 25 against Cumberland (Tenn.).
Alonas Peciulis has scored double-digits in every game this year, with tonight totaling 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the floor, four rebounds, and three assists.
Beau Jacquay shot 13 points from 6-for-8 shooting from the floor with four offensive rebounds and a team-leading seven total rebounds.
The Pilots jumped to an eight-point run, keeping the Cougars scoreless for about two and a half minutes before the run was broken up by USF with a triple at 16:28, 8-3.
Edwards hit a jumper at 12:05 to give the Pilots their first double-digit lead early, 19-9, before Colin Comer answered a two by Saint Francis with a deep ball at 11:08 to grow to 22-11.
At 7:46, the Cougars brought the game back to a three-point difference, 26-23, after a triple at 8:26 and a jumper at 7:46.
After battling to keep the Pilots from breaking out of a two-possession lead, the first half ended with the Cougars hitting a layup with three seconds to go and stopping the bleeding at 44-42, Bethel.
The Cougars tied the game seconds into the second half, 44-44, but Peciulis split a pair at 19:34, then Edwards splashing from downtown gave BU a three-point, 47-44 lead.
Jefferson hit a layup at 14:02 to get the Pilots back to a double-digit lead, 59-49, but USF brought the game back to a six-point difference at 8:15 to go in regulation with a split pair at the line coupled with a three at 8:50 for two straight scoring possessions.
Edwards splashed a jumper at 4:08 to bring the Pilots back to a 10-point lead, 81-71 and the Pilots grew to the game-winning 95-78 after Andrew Hedrick made both free-throws.
The Pilots have won the last three meetings with the Cougars and are 12-16 in the Gates Gymnasium in the all-time series since 1997. The last time the Pilots didn’t win against USF was on Feb. 18, 2023, in a 102-101 barn burner.
Next up for the Pilots is a trip to the sunshine state where the Pilots will face tests against No. 24 Florida Memorial on Monday, Dec. 16 at the Wellness Center on the campus of Florida Memorial in Miami Gardens, Fla., and (RV) Ave Maria at the Tom Golisano Field House in Ave Maria, Fla. After returning from Florida, the Pilots will face the (RV) Cornerstone Golden Eagles on Monday, Dec. 30 in the Gates Gymnasium, who Bethel has a long history with.