Alan Harper Nets Career-High 25 as Men's Hoops Runs Over Franciscan
Dec. 17 – STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – The Bethany College men's basketball team (5-3) put together a complete team effort to capture their third-consecutive victory as the Bison defeated Franciscan University 88-75 on Thursday. Five different players scored in double figures, led by a career-high 25 points from senior Alan Harper (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic).
Harper and sophomore Andrew Williams (Oil City, Pa./Oil City) lifted the Bison in the first half, scoring 26 of the team's 43 points, including knocking down a combined eight three-point baskets.
Williams, making his first start in the month of December, had Bethany going early, knocking down two triples in the first four minutes to help the Bison race out to a 10-2 advantage. Franciscan would get as close as four in the half (16-12) but would not have an answer for the Green & White's offense.
Up seven (21-14) with 10:29 remaining in the first frame, Bethany would use an 8-0 run to take their biggest lead of the half. Calique Jones (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) drove to the hole for two, before Harper knocked down back-to-back threes, giving the Bison a 29-14 advantage with nine minutes to play.
The host Barons (1-7) would cut into Bethany's lead late in the half, pulling within seven (40-33), before Williams' fourth three pointer of the half pushed the advantage back to double digits (43-33) with 2:13 to go. Franciscan, however, would hit the last shot of the frame, once again cutting the Bethany lead to seven at the break, 43-36.
The Barons would try to once again cut into the Bethany lead at the start of the second half, as a Green & White turnover led to a fast-break layup, cutting the Bison's advantage to 46-40.
The game would remain close with Bethany hanging on to a seven point lead (54-47) with just over 14 minutes to play. It was there, however, that the Green & White would put the game out of reach.
Using a 20-4 run over a seven-minute stretch, the Bison expanded a seven-point lead into 23-points. Six different Bison made a basket in the run, including two more three pointers by Harper, and six points from junior Antonio Rudolph (New Castle, Pa./New Castle). The last basket of the run came at the 7:03 mark, when Rudolph collected a steal and a fast-break dunk, giving Bethany a comfortable 74-51 advantage.
The 16-poing swing by the Green & White would prove to be enough, as the Bison would go on to cruise to a 13-point win, 88-75, marking their third-straight victory.
For the second time this season, the Green & White saw five different players score in double figures, including a career-high 25 from Harper. It marked the first time this season that the senior had eclipsed the 20-point mark after reaching the plateau three times in 2014-15.
Harper's 25 helped the Bison hold the advantage in bench scoring for the fourth time this season, as the Green & White's reserves outscored Franciscan's 35-10. Along with Harper, the Bison also received a solid contribution from sophomore Chris Harris (Brecksville, Ohio/Brecksville-Broadview Heights), who tallied a season-high 10 points.
Other leaders for Bethany included Williams, Rudolph and junior Travon Cotton (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage). Williams finished the game with 13 points, hitting all four of his three-point attempts in the game. He and Harper combined to go 10-of-10 from beyond the three-point arc.
Cotton posted season highs in both points (16) and rebounds (10) en route to his first-career double-double in a Bison uniform. Rudolph also finished with a double-double in the game, adding 10 points and 10 boards. The pair became the first Bison duo to notch a double-double in the same game since Nick Wilcox and British Alexander accomplished the feat against Waynesburg on Feb. 21, 2012.
The Bison will be back in action on Monday, December 28 as they travel to Ashland, Va. To compete in the R-MC Coaches' Tournament, hosted by Randolph-Macon College. Bethany will take on Wesley on Monday at 5 p.m., before facing either the host Yellow Jackets or Bryn Athyn on Tuesday evening.
