Pilots claim two more wins at Bethel Classic

The Bethel men’s basketball team gathered an additional two wins last weekend as they hosted the annual Bethel Tip-Off Classic. Tournament play began Thursday night when the Pilots punished Great Lakes Christian with their talented offense by a score of 100-75. Senior Joe Welch led all Bethel scorers with 16 points and chipped in two assists as well. Other leading scorers on the night were sophomore Jordan Bowerman, sophomore Landon Booker, and senior Caleb Laideg each with 11 points. Freshman Taylor Kolbus also stepped up for the Pilots, gathering eight rebounds with only 13 minutes of play. Despite giving up 75 points, the Pilots did not defend poorly as they forced 23 turnovers and collected 14 steals. In the next round of play, the Pilots ran into a very talented Aquinas team who they were able to overcome by a score of 62-55. Bethel fell behind early in the game which gave the visiting Saints a 7-2 opening lead; nevertheless, the Pilots would go on a 17-6 run which put them ahead by six. From there the Pilots were able to use an early 11-0 run in the second half to secure a confident 13 point victory. As a team, Bethel was 24 for 28 from the free throw line and earned a total of nine steals defensively. Welch again led all Bethel scorers with 17 points and gathered an impressive seven rebounds. The Pilots will now gear for conference play, which they will open up at home next Tuesday against Saint Francis. The game is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. and will follow the JV game which will start at 5:00 p.m.