IUSB Battles Back but Falls Short Against No. 15 Bethel
SOUTH BEND — Despite a valiant second-half rally, the IU South Bend men’s basketball team fell 85-77 to No. 15 Bethel (Ind.) on Wednesday night inside the Student Activities Center.
The Titans (1-2) trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half but stormed back after the break, cutting the lead to just three at 62-59 midway through the second half. IUSB kept the Pilots within range through the final ten minutes of action but could not find the the defensive stop to overcome the visitors
IU South Bend outscored Bethel 42-39 in the final period and shot 56.3% from the field after halftime.
Collin Schmidt and Mark White led the push in the second half with a combined 22 points. Schmidt was the leading scorer on the night for IUSB with 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting, while White added 15 points and eight rebounds.
Kyle Millender finished with 14 points and five assists, and Kyle Olagbegi provided a strong boost off the bench with 11 points and seven boards. Ethan Hill nearly posted a double-double with seven points and nine rebounds.
IU South Bend dominated inside, outscoring Bethel 48-20 in the paint and holding a 38-32 rebounding edge. The Pilots, however, made the difference from the perimeter, hitting 14-of-33 (42%) from three-point range.
Austin Cripe led the Bethel offense with 20 pts, shooting 8-17 (47%) from the field and 4-8 from downtown (50%).
Colin Comer and Luke McBride each posted 18 pts.
Alonas Peciulis led the team in rebounds (eight).
The Titans return to action Saturday when they take on Lawrence Tech at home at 3:00 pm.