NORTH NEWTON, Kan. - The Bethel College men's basketball team used a 43 point second half to take down the Falcons in Thresher Gym. 

The first half was a back and forth battle with both teams taking turns leading on the scoreboard. Friends' biggest lead of the contest came at the 15 minute mark when they led by 5 points.

Bethel tied the game up with their next two possessions before Friends took a two point lead right back. The Threshers scored on back to back possessions again to take the lead.

Jalyn Todd pushed the Thresher lead to 5 points with an emphatic one handed dunk on an ally-oop from Bryant Mocaby. Bethel got above the rim one more time as Christion Whitaker caught a lob from Clifford Byrd II to close out the opening half in style.

Bethel was able to keep Friends at an arms length as the two teams began the second half leading by no less than four points at any given time. Byrd II gave the Threshers their first double-digit lead, 59-48, with just over ten minutes left on the clock after making a bucket and drawing a foul. 

Over the next three minutes of the contest Bethel went on a 12-3 run to double their lead and blow the game wide open. BC took its largest lead of the night after Javen Hutton picked off a Falcon pass dribbled the ball through a defenders legs, behind his back and hit Whitaker with a perfect pass for a rim rocking dunk that blew the lid off of Thresher Gym.

Shortly after the dunk, both coaches emptied their benches as the contest finished 82-66 with Bethel as the victors.

Key Statistic
 
Bethel shot nearly 55% from the floor in the second half as they shot 17 of 31.
 
By The Numbers
 
Bethel scored 16 fast break points while allowing Friends to just 4.

The Threshers had 25 points off of Falcon turnovers in the win.

Bethel won the points in the paint battle 42-26.
 
After allowing Friends to shoot over 46% in the opening half, Bethel held them under 35% in the second half.

The Threshers pulled in 9 offensive boards leading to 8 second chance points.
 
Bethel won the battle on the glass pulling in 35 rebounds to Friends' 34.

Christion Whitaker finished a perfect 5 for 5 from the floor as he slammed home three alley-oops as he recorded his first double-digit scoring performance.

Nine Threshers scored in the win, six in double figures led by Byrd II with 16. Mocaby and Harper Jonas each had 11, while Todd, Hutton and Whitaker each had 10. 
 
Thresher Leaders
 
Points: Clifford Byrd II (16)
 
Rebounds: Clifford Byrd II (6)
 
Assists: Clifford Byrd II (7)
 
Steals: Clifford Byrd II (4)
 
Blocks: Jalyn Todd, Harper Jonas, Christion Whitaker (1)
 
Next Up

The Threshers are back in action for Alumni Night on Saturday, January 21st as they host the No. 17 ranked Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes at 7:00 PM inside Thresher Gym.