Trent Edwards dropped a team-leading 20 points on 10-18 shooting from the floor and four assists, with Alonas Peciulis and Luke McBride contributing 12 points. Peciulis shot 5-9 from the field, and McBride went 2-9 from deep, 3-11 from the floor, and 4-4 from the charity stripe.
Bethel took advantage of 21 points off the Cougars’ 18 turnovers while winning the battle off the offensive boards 12-5 and the overall rebound totals 32-29.
The Pilots jumped to a double-digit lead at 6:02 in the first half, marked by Peciulis’ layup 34-24, then went shot-for-shot with SAU.
Starting with Trent Edwards’ jumper at 5:11, a jumper from Shane Rykse at 4:48, a Peciulis layup at 4:20, then a layup by Dante Favor at 3:53, to make the game 38-28, Bethel.
The Cougars knocked the lead down to six with 48 seconds to go in the half, off a pair at the line but went into halftime down 43-34 to the Pilots.
SAU hit a 12-2 run to tie the game off Kevyn Robertson’s dunk at 12:39, 49-49, followed by Jameir Jefferson answering with a jumper at 11:51, then another jumper by Edwards at 10:58 to make it a two-possession lead, 53-49.
Travis Grayson tied the game again at 7:09 from a layup, but the showdown began. McBride hit a triple at 4:56, followed by a jumper by Grayson and a layup by Gabe Newhof to re-take the lead at 3:59, 63-62.
The Pilots took over the game in the final minutes with an 11-0 run to win the game 73-63 to remain undefeated in the Crossroads League at 8-0 and remain the leader in the Crossroads League standings.
Bethel continues the Crossroads League campaign with the Taylor Trojans on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 3 p.m. in Odle Arena.