Men's Basketball: Bison fall in final seconds to Tomcats

BETHANY, W.Va.- The men's basketball hosted the Thiel Tomcats for their final home game of the year. The Bison lost a last minute heartbreaker 77-76. 

GAME FLOW/HIGHLIGHTS 

• Thiel gained an early lead in the first. They capitalized off of Bethany's shooting woes. 

• Cole Daily collected two blocks and four rebounds within the first five minutes of play- a theme seen throughout the rest of the game 

• Bethany started slow shooting going 0-6 inside before Tony Fox sank their first two-point-bucket with 13 minutes left in the first half. That cut Thiel's lead to 15-11. 

• Thiel had been holding their own due to their volume of attempts. With 7:30 left in the half, they were outshooting Bethany 25-18 on attempts. 

• Bethany started to build momentum after Cole Matthews came in off the bench and splashed a nothing-but-net three, that was followed up by a Troy Hixson three for Bethany's first lead of the game 22-19. 

• No player notched double digit points, until Thiel's Rayshod Hooper, who was the first to hit 10 at 2:50 left in the first half. 

• Both teams started to have more offensive success at the end of the half. Thiel regained the lead 37-32 at the break. 

• Coming out of the locker rooms, there were three steals and two elapsed minutes before the first score courtesy of Thiel's Jonah Biggins.  

• Thiel maintained a slight lead for eight minutes into the second half, but the momentum was shifting. The Bison forced turnovers on defense and once again called upon Hixson's range to knot the game at 49-49 with twelve minutes to go. 

• Despite Dailey putting up a double-double stat line, Thiel's Hooper and Biggers proved to be a lot to handle down low for the Bison. They both earned double-doubles of their own in the second half. 

• Each team began trading shots in a much more offensive-driven half. Neither held a lead for long.  

• Bethany's Hixson and Thiel's Elijah Harden caught on fire when it mattered most, going shot for shot. They lead their teams in scoring in a tied game,72-72 with three minutes remaining.  

• Fox used the glass to give the Bison a 76-75 lead with under a minute to go.  

• The Bison defended a last possession shot, but Hooper was able to tip in a putback and give the Tomcats the lead and the win 77-76.  

BOX SCORE METRICS 

• The Bison had seven first half blocks- Dailey led with three (finished with four). 

• Thiel had three scorers in the 20s: Harden (24), Biggers (23), Hooper (20). 

• There were a total of three double-doubles (Points-Rebounds): Bethany: Dailey (19-14), Biggers (23-14), Hooper (20-12).

• Bethany finished the game with 11 steals.

• Hixson led the Bison with 20 points, shooting 5-of-10 (50%) from beyond the arc. 

BY THE NUMBERS 

• Neither team shot above 30% until two minutes into the first half.

• 50% of Bethany's first half made shots were threes. They shot 33.33% from beyond the arc prior to halftime.  

• Despite struggling early, both teams finished shooting over 38% from the field. 

• There were 43 total foul shots in the game. Combined the teams shot 65.1% making 28 of those 43 attempts. 

RECORDS 

Bethany College - (8-15) (7-12 PAC) 

Thiel College - (8-16) (7-12 PAC) 

UP NEXT 

The Bison will travel to Pennsylvania to take on the Westminster Titans (10-13, 8-11 PAC) for their final regular season game of the year.