MCKENZIE, Tenn. — EJ Reese tied the game with 33 seconds left as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College erased a 15-point second-half deficit, but Ethan Turner answered with a layup with eight seconds remaining to lift Bethel to a 71-69 men's basketball win Friday night at Crisp Arena.
Six Pomeroys scored in double figures for SMWC (3-2). Reese had 11 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, and
Amadou Ceesay added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
KC Chandler and
Mike Elliott each scored 11 off the bench, all in the second half.
Terrance Hill had 10 points and a team-high four assists, and
Zayvion Baker added 10 points and three assists. The Pomeroys got 34 points from their bench.
SMWC trailed 39-29 at halftime and 53-38 with 12:59 to play. Chandler hit three 3-pointers over the next five minutes to keep the Pomeroys within reach. Elliott then scored nine straight SMWC points on two layups, a 3-pointer and two free throws to cut Bethel's lead to 65-61 with 3:54 left.
Ceesay scored on two layups in the final 3:22, the second cutting the deficit to 69-65. Reese made it a two-point game with a layup at the 1:32 mark, and Ceesay blocked Joe Wimberly's layup on Bethel's next possession. After Jason Leek missed a free throw with 43 seconds left, Ceesay grabbed the rebound and Reese finished a layup off Baker's assist to tie it at 69.
Turner put Bethel (1-1) back in front with eight seconds left. Ceesay rebounded Turner's missed free throw, giving the Pomeroys one last chance. Brevin Phillips blocked Reese's attempt at a tying layup with two seconds remaining. Ceesay grabbed the offensive rebound but missed the follow-up jumper.
SMWC returns to Crisp Arena on Saturday, Nov. 7, to face the University of Tennessee Southern at 2 p.m. CT in the Chick-fil-A Classic hosted by Bethel.
