MISHAWAKA, Ind. — It was an electric environment in the Gates Gymnasium Wednesday night with an NAIA Top 25 matchup between the #22 Bethel Pilots and the #13 Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats for the 119th meeting between the two schools.
Head Coach Steve Drabyn got his first win over the Wildcats since the upset victory in the NAIA National Tournament in the 2020-21 season 83-77 and his first win over IWU in the Gates Gymnasium since taking the helm of the Men’s Basketball program. Drabyn now holds a 2-11 record against Indiana Wesleyan, and the Pilots lead the overall series 69-50.
Jameir Jefferson was four points shy of tying his career-high 25 points and dropped 21 on 7-for-12 shooting from the floor and 7-9 from the charity stripe, along with a team-leading seven rebounds. Trent Edwards and Colin Comer were the next top scorers with 15 points, Luke McBride dropped 14, and Alonas Peciulis had 12 with 4-for-6 shooting from the floor.
The Pilots had their highest free-throw percentage this season at 24-29 (82%) to combat the Wildcats shooting 23-24 (93%) from the line.
Bethel fell behind 15 points at 14:13 in the first half (22-7) before gradually chipping the deficit to 30-26 after Jefferson drained two from the charity stripe at 8:50.
Peciulis threw a right-handed jam and drew a foul to complete a three-point play at 3:50 to make it 40-38, then tie the game from Jefferson’s layup at 2:38 to go in the half.
McBride split a pair at the charity stripe with 52 seconds to go in the half to take a 43-42 lead. Indiana Wesleyan hit a jumper on the next possession, and Jefferson laid it off the glass to go into halftime up 45-44.
Edwards hit a jumper at 13:28 in the second half to give Bethel its first double-digit lead, 61- 50. It held until 11:30, when the Wildcats hit a deep ball, 66-59.
IWU got back within six points after four made free throws from a double-bonus foul and a technical foul 69-63, but Austin Cripe erased three of those points with a triple in the next possession, 72-63.
The Wildcats stormed back and got within one point at 8:10 from a triple, 74-73, then took the lead at the charity stripe at 6:46 75-74.
McBride answered with a three at 6:26 to take a two-point advantage and hit double-digits again 86-76 at 3:30 to go in regulation from a pair at the line by Peciulis.
Bethel ended the night with a 97-89 win, improving to 3-0 in the Crossroads League. It is tied with the Spring Arbor Cougars and the Saint Francis Cougars for the top spot in the League standings.
The Pilots face the Saint Francis Cougars on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 3 p.m. in the Gates Gymnasium.