North Newton, Kan. — Bethel Men's Basketball opened conference play with a statement win over No. 11 Saint Mary, defeating the Spires 74-68 in Thresher Gym.
Bethel men's basketball might be pretty good.
Undefeated entering Saturday and fresh off a win over national powerhouse and 2023–24 national runner-up Langston, No. 11 Saint Mary came into the game red-hot — but Bethel controlled the matchup defensively from start to finish. The final score doesn't fully reflect how dominant the Threshers were, as they led by 15 with 1:22 remaining.
Carmelo Yakubu continued to show why he was named KCAC Preseason Player of the Year, posting 25 points and 13 rebounds and repeatedly getting to the rim at will. Dominick Harris added 12 points and Rustan Griffen chipped in 13.
Bethel held the Spires to 39% shooting, 17% from three, and forced 21 turnovers in the victory.
FIRST HALF
The first half started slowly — exactly what you'd expect from two of the top defensive teams in the KCAC.
A bucket from Albert Diarra with 11:00 left sparked a 16-4 Bethel run over the next seven minutes, capped by a Rustan Griffen wing three off a pass from Yakubu to give Bethel a 30-19 lead with 4:17 remaining.
Saint Mary responded with a small run to stay within reach, but Yakubu scored with three seconds left to push the lead to 37-29 at halftime.
Saint Mary went 0-for-7 from three in the first half, and Bethel wasn't much better at 22%, but the Threshers dominated the offensive glass with 8 offensive rebounds.
SECOND HALF
The second half opened with a Dominick Harris three to extend Bethel's lead to 40-29, and the Threshers controlled the game from there.
Saint Mary briefly cut the lead to six with 14:23 remaining, but Bethel answered with a 15-2 run, highlighted by a transition lob dunk to Yakubu that brought the gym to life.
"Melo" completely took over from that point, attacking the rim at will, shooting nine free throws in the half, and scoring 13 after halftime.
Bethel led 69-54 with 1:40 left before a wild final stretch.
USM's Jordan Brown hit a tough corner three, then capitalized on back-to-back Bethel turnovers with another three and a three-point play opportunity, suddenly making it 69-63 with 48 seconds left.
Saint Mary made 1-of-2 free throws after an offensive rebound to cut it to 69-63, but Bethel knocked down free throws the rest of the way to secure the 74-68 win.
RECAP
Bethel looked like a top-10 team defensively all night.
The final score doesn't tell the full story — late-game mistakes accounted for 20% of all Saint Mary points.
Yakubu played like an All-American candidate, scoring a game-high 25 points on just 14 shots while also controlling the glass.
Dominick Harris is finding his offensive rhythm with 12 points, two threes, and an elite defensive effort that included six steals.
Transfer point guard Kaeson Fisher-Brown was outstanding defensively as well, recording two steals and holding a USM player averaging 17 points per game to just 10.
Albert Diarra continues to emerge as one of the conference's top centers with his athleticism and activity on both ends of the floor.
UP NEXT
Bethel hits the road for another major test, traveling to Southwestern on Wednesday night at Stewart Field House.
The Moundbuilders enter the matchup with a 4-1 record.
