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Wildcats Win Two, Lose One on the Road

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Bethel 90, Stillman 75
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (January 17) — The Bethel Wildcats entered action Thursday night at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa as one of the hottest teams in the SSAC, winning seven of their last eight outings. That momentum was tempered however with a 90-75 loss to the Tigers.
Bethel dropped to 12-5 overall and 6-3 in the SSAC, while No. 10 Stillman snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 15-2 and 7-2 in the league. It was the first meeting ever between the two programs.
A cold-shooting first half put the Wildcats in a catch-up mode for much of the night. Stillman led 48-33 at the break. Bethel shot just 30 percent from the field while the Tigers shot 54 percent and hit five threes in the first twenty minutes. Bethel was 1-of-8 from outside.
Bethel shot 36 percent for the game, hitting 28 of 77 shots. The Cats hit 4 of 18 three-point attempts. They were 15 of 25 from the free throw line. Bethel had a 49-40 advantage in rebounds but had 18 turnovers in the game.
The Tigers were 36 of 69 at 52 percent in the game. They knocked down ten three-pointers.
Cayden Edmonson led Bethel with 21 points. Noah Chatman had 17 points and 13 rebounds. Isaac Edmondson scored 11 points.
Coach Jeff Britt said, “Give Stillman a lot of credit for playing hard and playing extremely well. We out-rebounded them but had too many turnovers, and we needed more defensive stops.”
Bethel 93, Mobile 82
MOBILE, Ala. (January 19) — After losing at Stillman College Thursday, the Bethel Wildcats looked to bounce back Saturday at Mobile and that is exactly what they did with a 93-82 win over the Rams. Bethel moved to 13-5 overall and 7-3 in the SSAC. Mobile fell to 7-8 and 4-6.

It was the tenth meeting between the two programs, with Bethel now holding a 7-3 margin in the series.
The Wildcats shot 53 percent from the floor hitting 29 of 54 shots. They connected on six three-pointers on just ten attempts and were 28 of 41 from the free throw line. The Rams shot 48 percent, hitting 28 of 58 attempts from the field. They knocked down six threes and were 21 of 25 from the charity stripe. Bethel had a 32-29 advantage in rebounding. The Cats are 10-3 when they out-rebound their opponents.
Bethel’s Isaac Edmondson had a game-high 23 points. Chase Nappier followed with 18 points. Braxton Nappier contributed with 12 tallies. Noah Chatman had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Charles Cobb finished with 11 points. Will Stanford and Tony-Toni Wright led the Rams with 14 each.
Coach Jeff Britt commented on the victory, “This was a very tough and physical game. Coach Niland does a great job and the Rams get after you defensively. I am really proud of our young men in how they answered the challenge and bounced back after the game at Stillman.
Bethel 92, Blue Mountain 82
BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. (January 21) — The Bethel Wildcats closed out their three-game road trip at Blue Mountain Monday night on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a 92-82 win over the Toppers. Bethel improved to 14-5 overall and 8-3 in the SSAC. Bethel has won seven of their last nine outings. The Toppers fell to 8-8 and 2-8. BMC has lost five of their last six.
Bethel is 8-3 at home on the year. Bethel is 77-26 all-time in Crisp Arena. The Cats are 6-2 in road games. The Wildcats are 54-39 all-time versus SSAC opponents.
The Wildcats were 35 of 73 from the floor at 47 percent. They hit nine three-pointers and were 10 of 16 from the free throw line. BMC was 25 of 63 at 39 percent. They hit eight threes and connected on 12 of 16 free throw tries. The Wildcats had a 30-12 advantage in points in the paint. They also had a 14-4 margin in second-chance points.
The Wildcats have scored 80 or more points in 17 of their 19 games this season.
Da’ Juonta Ross led the Toppers with 15 points.
Coach Jeff Britt commented on the win, “We are pleased with our effort tonight, especially with the quick turnaround after our trip back from Mobile. We got off to a good start and that is always big on the road. Rebounding is always a key and we did a great job with a 55-32 margin. Another factor was our men looking for the open teammate, and that is why we had five players in double figures. It will be great to get back home for five straight games.”

Bethel, Wildcats, Basketball