With 16:31 left in the first half and Friends leading 11-3, Bethany coach Dan O’Dowd called a timeout to stop the bleeding. Little did he know, his team would respond with a 25-0 run to take control en route to a 73-69 win over Friends Wednesday night in Lindsborg.

Bethany started 6’8” freshman Michael Simpson and gave him the assignment of slowing down the KCAC’s leading scorer, Jordan Murdock. Murdock finished with 32 points, but scored 11 from the free throw line, and took 18 shots. The other two Falcons guards went a combined 1-16 from the floor, and Friends hit on just 36% of their field goals for the night.

After building a 15 point halftime lead, Bethany felt the lead slipping away in the second half. Friends trimmed it to 59-55 with 3:42 remaining, but a short jumper by Thomas Hood pushed the lead back to six. Sebastian Jean-Charles scored a season high 12 pts for Bethany, and hit a key 3-pointer with 1:41 left to give Bethany a nine point cushion.

Bethany forced 17 Friends turnovers, and hit 9-18 from downtown. Tyler Larkin led Bethany with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Hood had 16.

Bethany moves to 2-2 in league play with the win, and have won 2 straight after starting 0-2. The Swedes are back in action Saturday with pregame at 4:45 for the Ottawa doubleheader on 95.5 The Rock.

Bethany Women Fight Back, But Upset Bid Falls Short

It took nearly a quarter and a half for the Bethany women’s basketball team to adjust to the Friends pressure Wednesday night in Lindsborg. The Falcons built a 40-21 lead, surrendered it in the second half, and then rebounded for a 75-72 victory.

After a Cassidy Enns jumper, Bethany took a 66-65 lead with 3:10 remaining in the contest. Friends Yowanna Posey scored a quick basket on the other end to re-capture the lead, and the Falcons held on for a three-point win.

Bethany’s Lauren Welsch scored a career-high 33 points, on 9-19 shooting, and 5-10 from downtown. She also grabbed 10 rebounds to record a double-double. Bethany won the rebounding battle 50-41, and registered 17 offensive boards.

The Swedes host Ottawa on Saturday in Lindsborg. The women’s game will tip at 5pm, and can be heard on 95.5 The Rock.

By James Westling

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