NORTH NEWTON, Kan. — The Bethel College men's basketball team put together an impressive weekend at home, earning two wins in the Bethel Classic inside Thresher Gymnasium. The Threshers defeated Hesston on Thursday in front of a packed house for the annual Elementary School Game, then capped the weekend with a statement victory over Peru State — a team fresh off a 16 win against No. 3-ranked Georgetown on November 1st.
Bethel 92, Hesston 81 — Thursday, Nov. 6
In front of hundreds of cheering local students, Bethel used a balanced scoring attack and dominant inside presence to take down Hesston.
Albert Diarra was nearly perfect, finishing with 19 points and eight rebounds on 9-of-10 shooting, while Trenton Patterson added 15 points off the bench. Rustan Griffen and Carmelo Yakubu chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively, and Cade Kittrell contributed a solid eight points and five rebounds.
The Threshers shot 56.7 percent from the field, outrebounded Hesston 39–27, and never let the Larks close within single digits in the second half, securing the win to move to 3–1 on the season.
Bethel 82, Peru State 67 — Friday, Nov. 7
Bethel's defensive effort was the story of the night as the Threshers put together one of their most complete games of the season, taking down a Peru State squad that had defeated both Kansas Wesleyan the night before and No. 3 Georgetown by 16 on November 1st.
The Threshers held the Bobcats to 25 percent shooting from three in the first half, forcing 19 turnovers and converting them into 23 points. Bethel's intensity on defense set the tone early, contesting nearly every shot and limiting Peru State's second-chance opportunities to just seven points.
Offensively, Carmelo Yakubu was a steady presence all game, scoring 18 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing three assists while controlling the tempo. Trenton Patterson matched him with 18 points off the bench, bringing instant offense and leadership in crunch time.
Patterson's highlight moment came at the 4:29 mark of the second half, when he dropped a defender with a filthy crossover before knocking down a mid-range jumper — bringing the Thresher Gym crowd to its feet. From there, Bethel went on a 12–5 run to put the game out of reach.
Albert Diarra added 12 points and eight rebounds, including a key stretch early in the second half where he scored back-to-back buckets to rebuild Bethel's lead after Peru State had cut it to single digits. Kaeson Fisher-Brown chipped in 10 points, while Cade Kittrell provided strong minutes defensively with seven rebounds and two steals.
Bethel shot 45 percent from the field, 84 percent from the free-throw line, and won the rebounding battle 36–29, showing composure on both ends of the floor.
Up Next: The Threshers (4–1) turn their attention to the KCAC opener next Saturday at home against Saint Mary, a rematch of last season's KCAC Championship Game. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 PM inside Thresher Gym.
