Bethany slowly chipped away at the early Hiram lead and cut the lead to two with 3:49 left in the first half. However, Hiram ended the half with a 5-0 spurt to go into halftime with a 32-25 advantage. The Bison shot just 29.4-percent (10-of-34) in the first half, while Hiram shot 61.1-percent (11-18) from the floor.
Bethany started the second half with an 8-2 run to close to within one (34-33) with 17:10 on the clock, but Hiram wouldn’t relinquish the lead until Bethany sophomore Chris Stephens (Wheeling, W.Va.) drained a three-pointer with 4:10 remaining. The shot capped an 18-6 run and gave Bethany its first lead of the game, 58-57. Bison sophomore forward James Wallace (Bellaire, Ohio) scored eight points during the run.
Hiram regained the lead on its next possession on a layup by Brandon Pool, but Stephens scored a bucket the next time down the court to spark a 9-0 Bethany run, putting the game out of reach for the Terriers. Bethany ensured the win by going 9-for-10 from the charity stripe down the stretch.
Junior Mike Drahos (Wheeling, W.Va.) led Bethany with 21 points and six rebounds, while Stephens added 14 points, four assists and four steals. Junior Josh Polantz (Johnstown, Pa.) scored a season-high 11 points and dished out six assists.
Bethany shot just 38.3-percent from the field in the game, its poorest showing from the field this season, as the squad came in shooting over 48-percent. A deciding factor in the game was the turnover battle, which Bethany won by forcing 23 and committing just 11.
Carlton Dean led the Terriers with 28 points and eight rebounds, while Rick Baldwin added 18 points and five boards.
The Bison will take some time off before returning to action on Wednesday, December 29, against Oberlin at home at 7 p.m.