The first 37 minutes of basketball at Wilson Fieldhouse Saturday night was an instant classic featuring Bethany and Ottawa. However, the final three minutes left fans, coaches, players, and school officials bewildered as Ottawa pulled away for a 73-67 victory.
With 3:03 remaining and Bethany on top 62-60, the first of three technical fouls were issued to the visitors. One, to Jessie Patrick. Two, to Bethany coach Dan O’Dowd. Three, to Bethany guard Tyler Larkin. Throw in a flagarant foul on Milos Milosevic with 15 seconds remaining, and the rest is history.
Ottawa ended the game on a 9-0 run, with nine of their final 13 points coming from the foul line. The Braves finished 23-29 for the contest, while Bethany went 8-13 from the stripe.
Bethany built a 14-point lead in the first half as they raced out to a 22-8 cushion with 11:31 left. Mitchell Brown hit three triples in the stanza, and finished game with a career high 15 points.
Bethany led 40-34 at halftime, and held Ottawa to just one, three-point field goal in the first 20 minutes. The Braves finished 4-22 from downtown, while Bethany hit 9-27 from beyond the arc. Bethany shot 48% from the floor in the contest.
The loss was the third straight for Bethany. The Swedes will look to rebound at home on Wednesday against York. Tipoff is set for 7pm in Lindsborg, and can be heard on KVOB 95.5 The Rock.
Ottawa 63, Bethany 41
Bethany scored a season low 41 points against a stingy Ottawa defense on Saturday. The Swedes made just 12 field goals for the game, and hit only one three-pointer en route to a 63-41 loss.
Ottawa jumped out to a 12-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Braves won every period, and outscored Bethany by 14 in the second half after building a 23-15 lead at halftime.
Forward Jessica King led all scorers with 17 points, and had 5 rebounds for Ottawa. Bethany’s starting front-line combined for just two points, on 1-7 shooting.
The Swedes return to action on Wednesday against York. Bethany will be seeking a sweep of the series, with pregame coverage at 4:45pm on KVOB 95.5 The Rock.
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