Bethel knocked out IWU from the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championships, 83-77, Thursday night. Photo art provided

Press Release

KANSAS CITY – Bethel men’s basketball battled back from a five-point halftime deficit and multiple six-point deficits in the second half and took down NAIA No. 1 and the top overall seed Indiana Wesleyan, 83-77, on Thursday in the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship Round of 16.

TreVion Crews led all players with 29 points, seven assists and two steals, while adding six rebounds in the program’s only second-ever victory over a No. 1 team (both over Indiana Wesleyan). Jared DeHart added 20 points, five boards and three steals in the win.

The Pilots outscored the Wildcats 25-7 off turnovers and had 17 second-chance points. Where IWU had worn teams out so often in recent years, Bethel reversed the deed by outscoring the Wildcats 13-5 in the final 3:50 of the contest. It was Bethel’s third straight win over a top 25 program in the postseason, and advances the Pilots to the Elite Eight, where it will see another Crossroads League rival, St. Francis, Saturday at 3 p.m.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of our players, staff, and everybody else involved with our program,” said Bethel head coach Steve Drabyn. “I thought our game plan was executed really well. TreVion Crews carried us offensively, we got a big boost from Jake Johnson off the bench, and our players defended a great offensive team.”

The loss was the end of the road for the sensational Kyle Mangas. The IWU senior, a four-time Crossroads League Player of the Year, the reigning Bevo Francis winner and owner of nearly every personal award there is at his level, bowed out of the tournament after notching 22 points and six assists. The top seed also had 15 rebounds from Seth Maxwell.