Cats Host Patriots Thursday in Crisp
MCKENZIE, Tenn. – The Bethel Wildcats return home to close out their regular season with two home games this week. The Cats host the University of the Cumberlands Thursday at 8 p.m. and then will entertain UPIKE Saturday on Senior Day at 4 p.m.
The Wildcats are 12-15 overall and 4-15 in the MSC. UC is 18-10 and 12-8. The Patriots are 4-7 on the road this year while Bethel is 5-8 at home this season. The Cats are 114-41 all-time in Crisp Arena.
The Wildcats led 34-33 at the University of the Cumberlands in early January but a poor shooting second half cost the Cats as they fell 71- 58 to the Patriots. The Wildcats shot just 22 percent in the half.
It was also the first time on the season Bethel has loss after leading at halftime.
Pick your storyline for the first half. The Wildcats held UC without a field goal in the first five minutes and led 8-2. The Patriots used a 18-2 run to grab a 20-10 lead midway of the half but Bethel righted the ship with a 24-13 run and led at 34-33 at halftime.
Balanced scoring proved to be a key for the Wildcats in the half. John Brown had eight points. Yassine Zlitni came off the Wildcats bench with six key points. Jarred Walker, Drew Thomas, and Hayden Thomas scored five each. Kamron Rose pitched in with four tallies and six rebounds while Jamarius Mayberry had two points.
Brown hit the first basket of the second half to give Bethel a 36-33 margin, but UC scored 10 unanswered to grab a 43-33 margin. Bethel would go five minutes without a field goal and in the end, it would prove to be too much to overcome for the Cats. The Pats outscored Bethel 38-24 in the last twenty minutes.
The Patriots shot 44 percent while Bethel finished at a season low 28 percent. The two teams struggled from the outside hitting just eight of 43 attempts from deep.
Each squad had 46 rebounds. Rose led Bethel with 11 rebounds while Thomas had nine boards.
Brown led Bethel with 12 points. Thomas had eight points. Steve Fitzgerald led the Pats with a game high 14 points.
Bethel's Jarred Walker's lay up at the 6:40 of the first half at Shawnee State last week put him over the 1,000-point mark of his career. He became the 31st player in Wildcat history to score 1,000 points or more. He finished the game with 1, 015 career points. He enters the game with 423 career assists which is 11th all-time in program history. He has 220 career steals which is second in program history.
Rose enters the game with 981 career points. He has 525 as a Wildcat. His previous total (456) was while he played at Arkansas Mid-South.
Trends & Numbers:
Bethel is 8-0 when they outshoot their opponents.
The Cats are 8-4 when they hit more three-pointers.
The Wildcats are 12-9 when they outrebound their opponents.
Bethel is 8-6 when they have less turnovers.
The Cats are 10-4 when they lead at the half.
Jeff Britt is in his 22nd year as the head men's basketball coach at Bethel and his 33rd year as a college basketball coach. His record as a head coach is 493-344 and includes 11 seasons with 20-plus wins. He currently ranks 10th for most wins among active NAIA Division I men's basketball coaches. Britt is 387-301 at Bethel.
Official Game Day Program:
https://bethelathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/2021-22_Men-s_Basketball_Game_Notes_-_Feb._17.pdf
Catch the action on WEIO, 100.9 and at www.thefarmradio.com
Live stats:
https://www.bethelathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/boxscores/20220217_9ain.xml
Live video:
https://www.bethelathletics.com/WildcatStreaming
Tickets:
https://www.bethelathletics.com/bethel-box-office