GOSHEN, Ind. — The 122nd meeting between the No. 10 Bethel Pilots (17-3, 10-0) and the Goshen Maple Leafs (5-10, 0-10) ended with an 86-69 Pilots victory in the Gunden Gymnasium on Saturday, adding to the US Highway 20 Cup standings for the 2024-25 season.
Bethel currently leads 5.50-3.50 in the US Highway 20 Cup standings, which is an all-sport rivalry between the Pilots and the Maple Leafs that started in the 2019-2020 season where Goshen is seeking their first title.
James Anderson dropped a season-high 16 points on 5-8 shooting from the floor and 6-7 from the charity stripe, including five rebounds off the glass.
Alonas Peciulis scored 14 points with great shooting from the line (7-8) and 3-9 from the field and four rebounds; Colin Comer matched Peciulis’ point total at 14 but shot a perfect 5-5 overall and 2-2 from deep and the charity stripe.
Andrew Hedrick ended the day with 10 points scored off 4-6 shooting and 2-3 from beyond the arc.
Bethel went into halftime ahead by a small three-point margin, 39-36, but the game started tight with two different times where the game tied, once at 16:16 at 7-7 and the other at 15:04, 11-11.
With the Pilots up 21-18 at 10:16 in the first half, Comer started a 9-0 run off a triple at 9:51 that turned into a 12-point, 30-18 lead capped off by a jumper by Austin Cripe at 7:34.
With 1:14 left in the first half, Jameir Jefferson knocked down a two to give a two-possession 39-33 lead, but Goshen hit a triple with three seconds left in the half to go into halftime down three, 39-36.
Marcus Northern of the Maple Leafs brought GC within one point of the Pilots twice in the early going of the second half with the first bucket of the half at 19:46 (39-38) and at 16:58 off a three (47-46), but the Pilots maintained a healthy 2-3 possession lead for a majority of the second.
Comer hit a two at 11:37 to get the Pilots to a 10-point, 61-51 advantage, then grew to 14 at 7:05 with a Hedrick triple, 70-56. Bethel would end up winning on the road 86-69.
Bethel remains undefeated in the Crossroads League at 10-0 and now has a two-game advantage over the Grace Lancers, who sit in second place at 8-2 and three games above the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) in third at 7-3.
The Pilots continue on the Crossroads League trail with the Huntington Foresters on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Gates Gymnasium where between the Women’s and Men’s games, the Bethel University Athletic Department will recognize the 30th anniversary of the 1994-95 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship team.