Jan. 14 - NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Behind 32 points from senior guard Delonte' Joyce (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis), the Bethany College men's basketball team posted an 86-79 victory over Westminster College on Wednesday evening.
The Bison got off to a quick start over the first five minutes of the contest, as Joyce came out hot, scoring eight of Bethany's first 12 points to spot the Bison a 12-4 lead with 15:06 to play in the half.
Westminster would respond however, as the Titans would use a 12-4 run of their own over the next six minutes to pull the game into a tie at 16-16 on a three pointer by Brandon Domenick with 9:44 to play. The Titans would take a slim one-point advantage, 19-18, with 6:44 to play before the Bison went on their biggest run of the opening half.
Trailing by one, the Bison used solid defense to hold the Titans to just four points in the midst of an 18-4 run to end the opening frame and take a 13-point lead into the half, 36-23. In the run, Joyce posted eight of the 18 points, while freshman Andrew Williams (Oil City, Pa./Oil City) scored five, giving the Bison their largest lead of the game at the break.
The second half would open much like the first half ended, with the Bison continuing to pour on the points. By the 14:40 mark of the second frame, thanks to a bucket by freshman Liam Davis (Orlando, Fla./Orlando Christian Prep), the Green & White had their largest lead of the contest, 47-28. Westminster, however, would show some fight.
Over the next eight minutes of play, the Titans would outscore Bethany 29-10, to come all the way back and knot the contest at 57 apiece on a three by Domenick with 6:57 to play.
The Green & White would immediately respond with a counter attack of their own, using defense to fuel their offensive effort. After Jeff Joynes (Baltimore, Md./Poly) put in a layup to give the Bison the two-point lead, Joyce came up with a steal which lead to a transition bucket for Calique Jones (Pittsburgh,Pa./Obama Academy).
On Westminster's next possession, Darrian Bruster (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) came up with a big block which led to an "old-fashioned" three-point play for Joyce at the other end, giving the Bison a seven-point advantage (64-57) with 5:42 to play.
Joyce's layup at the 5:42 mark would be the last basket that the Bison would make from the field, scoring the rest of their points from the charity stripe. The Bison, who came into the game shooting just over 70 percent from the free-throw line, converted on 23-of-27 attempts down the stretch to keep the Titans at bay, picking up their second conference win of the year, 86-79.
Offensively, Joyce was lights out for the Bison, as he put together 32 points, his second-highest scoring output of his career. He did most of his damage at the free-throw line where he converted on 16-of-21 from the charity stripe. His 16 made free throws were the third highest single-game total for any Bison in school history, just two behind Matt Drahos' record of 18, set against LaRoche in 2004.
Joyce's point total marked the fifth time that he has scored at least 20 points this season, with each performance resulting in a Bison victory. It also marked the second time this year he has broken the 30-point plateau, and the fifth time over the last two seasons.
Other offensive leaders for the Bison included Bruster and Pedro Lalor (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips). Bruster totaled 13 points while Lalor notched nine points and team highs in both assists (five) and steals (three). Williams also scored nine for Bethany while Joynes and Jones added seven, each.
The Bison will be back in action on Saturday, January 17, as they return home to face off against Washington & Jefferson College. The contest is scheduled for a 4 p.m. tip.
