Men's Basketball

Pilots look confident at home, beat Foresters 89-80

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The Pilots were able to snap their four game losing streak at home with a somewhat comfortable victory over the Huntington Foresters. The Pilots built a double-digit lead by midway in the first half and held off every Forester run to claim the 89-80 victory. The Pilots entered the game with a clear game plan of limiting the damage done by the Forester centers in the paint and
Michael Mislan gave significant contributions off the bench against Huntington, scoring 10 points and gathering nine rebounds. (photo by Jeff Welsh)
execute offensively. It did not take much time for Huntington to find their inside game and feed their offense through the big guys down low. Nevertheless, the Pilot defense was relentless at double-teaming down low and shifting the defense. As a result, they were able to force a number of turnovers and benefit from pinpoint shooting from Zach Miller. Although the Pilots had claimed a 12 point lead with seven minutes remaining in the half, Huntington closed the half strongly to cut halftime score to 41-37.
The second half began similarly, as the Foresters continued to climb closer and closer. Within five minutes, Huntington had cut the lead to 51-49 and threatened to take command. However, the Pilots recovered by stepping up their defense and capitalizing in transition. The Pilots would go on to play one of their better halves of the season and eventually led 78-70 with two minutes remaining. As a result of smart plays and clutch free throws Bethel held on for a nine point victory. The Bethel defense played a major part in their second victory in three games. Darrell Hopkins and Michael Mislan gave a tremendous effort down low against two very physical guards. In addition, the Pilot guards, led by Landon Booker, were able to force a combined seven turnovers from the two starting Huntington guards. Overall, the defense created a total of 10 steals. Zach Miller continued to lead the Bethel offense with deep shooting, scoring 21 points as a result of going four-for-seven from the field. Matt Schauss had 20 on the night and was two-for-two beyond the arc. Michael Mislan nearly gathered a double double off the bench as he collected 10 points and nine rebounds. The Pilots will next be in action on Feb. 11, when they host Indiana Wesleyan. Tip-off for is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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