MCKENZIE, Tenn. — A new season begins Wednesday night in Crisp Arena as the Bethel Wildcats host the St. Thomas University Bobcats at 7 p.m. Both programs are coming off winning seasons and conference tournament runs.
A look at the Cats
The Wildcats finished the 2025–26 campaign with a 19–13 record and reached the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship for the first time since the 2018–19 season. Bethel also made its first appearance in the Mid-South Conference Tournament championship game.
Bethel's postseason run began as the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament. The Wildcats knocked off second-seeded Georgetown 82–74 in the quarterfinals, then defeated Cumberlands 80–76 in overtime in the semifinals. Their run ended with a 72–64 loss to Freed-Hardeman in the championship game. The Lions went on to win the NAIA national championship.
The Wildcats earned a national tournament berth and traveled to Langston, Oklahoma, where they fell 73–65 to Langston in the opening round.
Bethel averaged 78.4 points and 40.5 rebounds per game last season, outrebounding its opponents by an average of 4.8 boards. The Wildcats finished 3–9 in Mid-South Conference regular-season play and were 10–5 at home.
For a complete season preview on the Cats, visit:
https://bethelathletics.com/news/2026/10/25/mens-basketball-2026-27-bethel-mens-basketball-preview.aspx
About the Bobcats
St. Thomas, located in Miami Gardens, Florida, competes in the Sun Conference. The Bobcats finished 17–13 overall last season and went 8–8 in conference play.
St. Thomas opened its conference tournament with a 76–73 victory over Florida Memorial, completing a three-game season sweep of its local rival. The Bobcats then fell 99–73 to Keiser in the conference semifinals.
The Bobcats averaged 75.8 points and 37.5 rebounds per game.
The game also marks the season opener for the Bobcats.
Stats:
https://bethelathletics.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Video:
https://bethelathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule
Note:
There is no admission fee for this game.