MBB: Bethany Gets on a Roll(er)

Freshman guard Jess Roller not only had the highlight play of the night but turned in a career-high as the Bethany College men's basketball team knocked off Westminster Monday, 89-82, in Presidents' Athletic Conference action on Joe Kurey Memorial Court inside the Hummel Field House.  

The game was rescheduled from November 20 due to a power outage.  

Roller tied a career-high 23 points with a career-high eight rebounds, seven of which came on the defensive end. The numbers were impressive, but his thunderous dunk – in which he was also fouled  – sent the Hummel faithful into a frenzy. The dunk also enabled the Bison to keep its momentum, and when sophomore Cole Matthews connected on a corner three-pointer one minute later – Bethany had its biggest lead at 13 points.  

Westminster turned the Bison over three times and Bethany missed a pair of shots as the Titans quickly scored nine straight to get back to within four. However, Roller had a momentum-halting answer with a pull-up three and Bethany held on for the victory.  

For the second straight game, junior Cole Dailey was a rebound shy of a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Jaydis Kennedy finished with a career-high 12 points, a career-high four steals, and three rebounds as his defensive energy was pivotal at times. Sophomore Ben Guffey added 12 points and three rebounds.  

INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES 

• Junior T.J. Jenkins had a career-high 10 rebounds, five offensive and five defensive. Despite scoring just two points, Jenkins led the team with a plus/minus of plus-17.  
• Bethany has now claimed three of the last four meetings with the Titans.  
• It was Bethany's first home win since November 23.  
• The Bison used its 12th starting lineup of the season.  
• Thanks to Roller's 23 points, the BC reserves outscored their counterparts, 36-15.  
• Ten players played at least 11 minutes in the contest.  

Bethany (7-12 overall, 2-12 PAC) has a quick turnaround, traveling to Greenville for a meeting with Thiel 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. 

This article was written by Assistant Athletic Director for Communications, Jayson Ameer Rasheed. If you believe there are mistakes in information-- or have a separate thought relating to the event in the article -- please email ameer.rasheed@bethanywv.edu for any corrections/comments.