Pilots dominate Bethel Classic with landslide wins

The men’s Pilot basketball team hosted the annual Bethel Classic on Nov. 11 and 12, taking on the Kuyper College Cougars and the Indiana Dabney University Lions. With these being the first two home games of the season for the Pilots, they received a great crowd turnout and an intense home atmosphere. As a result, they were able to easily down Kuyper by the score of 101-57 and pull away of IU Dabney 93-64. Bethel approached the classic with a 2-0 record and was eager to give their fans something to be excited about. Despite being such a young team, they showed very little nerves in their first game against Kuyper quickly pulling away and not looking back. Their full-court press and half-court defense was relentless, forcing a total of 34 turnovers. The Pilots had nine players report at least one steal and Sophomore Brandon Gerber led the way with five. On the other side of the court, they seemed to do everything right. Freshmen Matt Schauss and Zach Miller proved their worth as big time playmakers who can put up points quickly as they collected 15 and 12 points respectively. In addition, Sophomore Darrell Hopkins established a firm presence down low with 15 points. The Pilots also created a number of second chance baskets due to 17 offensive rebounds. Although many thought that it would be the same result against IU Dabney, it was the Lions who took the first punch of the afternoon going up 13-5. Nevertheless, the Pilot defense continued to wear on the visitors and quickly tired them out. Midway through the first half, Bethel regained control by going on a 23-4 run in which they would keep adding to. The defense continued to come up with the ball especially late in the game as they gathered a total of 34 turnovers. Sophomore Cody Cochran led the Pilots in scoring off the bench with 14 points, while Miller was right behind him with 13. The Pilots will be on the road this week as they travel to Concordia University on Tuesday Nov. 15. Tip-off for this game is scheduled for 7 p.m.