NORTH NEWTON, Kan. — The Bethel College men's basketball team delivered a strong second-half performance Saturday night, defeating Ottawa 87–60 inside Thresher Gym. With the win — combined with Southwestern's loss to Kansas Wesleyan — Bethel now sits alone in fourth place in the KCAC standings.

The Threshers improve to 19–7 overall and 14–6 in conference play.

Bethel led 31–26 at halftime before erupting for 56 points in the second half, shooting 54.8 percent after the break. The Threshers controlled the paint all night, finishing with 54 points inside and forcing 34 Ottawa turnovers that led to 31 points.

Carmelo Yakubu paced the offense with 19 points and nine rebounds, scoring repeatedly in the paint and finishing through contact. Christion Whitaker provided a major lift off the bench with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while Trenton Patterson added 12 points and two three-pointers. Rustan Griffen chipped in 11 points, and Bethel received scoring contributions from 12 different players.

Bethel's depth was a difference-maker, finishing with 43 bench points and turning defensive pressure into sustained momentum in the second half.

The Threshers will look to keep building as they travel to Tabor on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 8:00 PM as Bethel continues its push down the stretch of conference play.