NORTH NEWTON, Kan.—Bethel College secured a thrilling 88-84 double-overtime victory over Ottawa University on Wednesday night in Thresher Gym, punching their ticket to the KCAC semifinals. The Threshers will now travel to top-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan on Saturday at 2 PM with a trip to the KCAC championship game on the line.
Bethel never led until the closing seconds of double overtime, overcoming early offensive struggles and key foul trouble to grind out the postseason win.
How It Happened
From the opening tip, it was clear Bethel would have to fight uphill. The Threshers struggled mightily in the first 10 minutes, failing to convert several layups and missing opportunities around the rim as Ottawa jumped out to a 17-4 lead. The slow start was made worse when Carmelo Yakubu picked up early fouls, forcing him to sit out for extended stretches of the first half.
Ottawa carried a 35-26 lead into halftime, and even as Bethel found its rhythm in the second half, the Braves never relinquished their lead. But Bethel stayed within striking distance, thanks in large part to a standout performance from freshman Dominick Harris, who tallied 10 rebounds to go with seven points and four assists off the bench.
Yakubu, after battling foul trouble in the first half, took over after the break, finishing with a game-high 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting, adding six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks—including the biggest defensive play of the night.
1st Overtime
With under 11 seconds left in the first overtime, Eli Wiseman drained a cold-blooded three-pointer to tie the game at 82-82, keeping Bethel alive.
As time wound down in the first overtime, Ottawa had a chance to win with a post feed to Jayden Hibbitt, but Yakubu delivered a clutch rejection at the rim to deny the Braves in the closing seconds. Ottawa's Landyn Tyler had set up the play by dumping it down to Hibbitt, but Yakubu was waiting, meeting him at the rim with a momentum-shifting block that forced double overtime.
2nd Overtime
In double overtime, Bethel finally took its first lead of the game when Nick Bonner converted a go-ahead layup with 1:28 left, giving the Threshers an 86-84 advantage. With the defense holding firm, Yakubu iced the game at the free-throw line with two clutch makes with two seconds remaining, sealing the win.
Inside the Numbers
- Bethel shot 37.8% from the field and 35.0% from three-point range.
- Yakubu led all scorers with 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
- Wiseman added 16 points, including the game-tying three in OT.
- Harris finished with 10 rebounds, 7 points, and 4 assists off the bench.
- Bethel trailed for 49:32 of the 50-minute game, only leading at the end.
Up Next
With the win, Bethel advances to the KCAC semifinals where they will face No. 1 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan on Saturday at 2 PM in Bartlesville, Okla
