BETHANY, W.Va. – The Geneva College men's basketball team took early control of its game on Saturday afternoon at Bethany, never giving a struggling Bison squad a chance, and the Golden Tornadoes cruised to an 88-58 win. The victory, Geneva's fourth straight, improved its record to 16-7 overall, 13-5 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), setting the Golden Tornadoes up for a huge final week of the regular season.
Junior Ryan Rachic opened the game with back-to-back baskets, and then senior Lyle Tipton took over from long range. Tipton, the league's leading scorer, hit five three-pointers over the next seven minutes, though the Bison stayed close early on despite the Tipton barrage. Midway through the half, Geneva led just 21-19, despite Tipton's hot streak.
The Bison couldn't keep pace, though, as Bethany had no answer for the Geneva offense. The Bison offense went cold, while the Golden Tornadoes continued to put up points. Over the next eight minutes, Geneva outscored Bethany 23-3 while eventually taking a 48-26 advantage into the break. Tipton had 21 points in the first half.
Geneva left no doubt by putting the game away early in the second half. A three-pointer from senior Isaac Massie pushed Geneva's lead to 64-32. The starters departed the game at that point, while the Golden Tornadoes' bench would extend the lead as high as 39 points, 78-39, before closing out the 88-58 win.
Tipton led five players in double figures, scoring 28 points in just 24 minutes. He shot 9-of-16 from the floor, 5-of-7 from three-point range, and 5-of-6 from the foul line. Massie finished with 12 points, while Ryan and Mark Rachic, along with sophomore Trevor Tipton, each added 10 points. Geneva finished 31-of-76 (41%) from the floor, while shooting an even better 15-of-32 (47%) from long range. The Golden Tornadoes also outrebounded the Bison, 47-30, with Ryan Rachic pulling down a team-best eight boards.
"This was a great team win," said Head Coach Jeff Santarsiero. "We focused in early on both ends of the floor, and once we got up big, we were able to get some starters some much-needed rest late while letting the other guys get some valuable minutes. We will get some rest and then get ready for a big final week."
Geneva currently sits in a tie for second place in the PAC, one game behind W&J. Geneva hosts W&J on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., and a win in that game would give the Golden Tornadoes a sweep of the Presidents and the tiebreaker. The men then close their season with a home game against Saint Vincent on Saturday. Two victories would secure the top seed in the PAC playoffs for the first time since joining the PAC 12 years ago.
Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).
