Swift drives the lane in loss to Bethel
Kelly Cieslak - KeepersbyKelly.com
67
Madonna (Mich.) MUMBB 4-2
91
Winner Bethel (Ind.) BC 8-0
Madonna (Mich.) MUMBB
4-2
67
Final
91
Bethel (Ind.) BC
8-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Madonna (Mich.) MUMBB 35 32 67
Bethel (Ind.) BC 44 47 91

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | John Lauro

@MUCrusadersMBB suffers first loss to No. 23 Bethel

 

MISHAWAKA, Ind. – The Madonna University men's basketball team could not complete the upset on the road against NAIA No. 23 Bethel University in a 91-67 loss on Saturday afternoon. The Crusaders offense saw three individuals post double-digit points, although the strong play of the Pilots handed the Crusaders their first loss of the season, falling to 4-1, while the Pilots improve to 7-0.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Mark Mettie opened the scoring for the Crusaders before the Dwight Burton and Jonathan Swift duo combined for the next ten MU points over a three minute span, including three-pointers from both Burton and Swift. Trailing 15-16 thanks to a converted free throw by Caleb Drumm, it was Josh Reynolds who seemed to have an answer for the Pilots defense as he hit back to back jumpers to keep the score within two points with 9:39 remaining in the half.

  • The Pilots hot shooting saw them increase their lead to 31-23, but the Crusaders were able to shrink that lead to two points off buckets in the paint from Burton and Mettie, along with a mid-range jumper from Drumm. The rollercoaster ride continued as the half wound down, once again seeing the Crusaders fall to a five point deficit before Burton nailed a deep three-pointer that brought the score to 35-33 with 3:17 remaining. A  late offensive push by Bethel increased their lead to 44-35 at halftime.

  • Despite falling behind by 13 points early in the half, the Crusaders continued their resilient play as Mettie, Drumm, and Swift all drained jumpers to decrease the deficit to six points. Despite their best efforts, it appeared to be all Pilots from that point on as the strong offensive play of Swift and Burton were not enough to rally a comeback. A three-pointer by Drumm with just 13 seconds remaining solidified the score at 91-67 in favor of the Pilots.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

  • MU shot 40.3 percent (25-62) from the field, 22.7 percent (5-22) from three-point range, and 60 percent (12-20) from the free throw line. Bethel on the other hand, 50 percent (36-72) from the floor, 31.3 percent (10-32) from beyond the arc, and 60 percent (9-15) from the free throw line.

  • Swift paced the Crusaders offensen with 20 points, four assists, and nine rebounds, while Burton added 14 points, one steal and three rebounds.

  • Eichler and Mettie combined for eight rebounds and 12 points on the night.

  • Reynolds added 12 points of his own while also adding six rebounds for the Crusaders.

NOEL'S NOTIONS

  • "We played a really good team today and learned a lot about ourselves. There were a lot of positives that we will take from the game and areas that we will improve. The guys played with great effort and have the desire to be an outstanding team. I will have a better game plan and put our guys in better position to succeed when we start conference play Wednesday." - Head Coach Noel Emenhiser

UP NEXT

  • The Crusaders return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 14 as they open Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play with Lawrence Tech University at the MU Activities Center. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

  • Live coverage links are available at www.mucrusaders.com.

CONNECT WITH THE CRUSADERS: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

SUBSCRIBE/DOWNLOAD TEAM SCHEDULES: Download Center

Print Friendly Version