WINONA LAKE, Ind. – The Geneva College men's basketball team saw its run for a championship in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Tournament halted by the top seed in the tournament, Bethel (IN) University, in the NCCAA Semifinals, 74-63. Geneva will take on #2 seed Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in the third-place game.
Geneva knew it would have a battle on its hand against Bethel, a program that gives out athletic scholarships in the NAIA and that had already played in the NAIA National Tournament. The Golden Tornadoes hung with the highly regarded Pilots early, though.
Senior Isaac Massie and sophomore Mark Rachic hit three-pointers in the early minutes, and then a jumper from senior Lyle Tipton seven minutes into the game gave the Golden Tornadoes a lead for the first time, 13-12. Another three-pointer from Rachic four minutes later pulled Geneva within 19-17, but the next several minutes proved to be the difference in the game.
Over the next three minutes, Bethel scored eleven straight points to take a 30-17 lead, and that run really proved to be the difference between the two teams on the night. A three-pointer from junior Payton Triplett with two minutes left before half cut the deficit to 34-26, but the Pilots had a late burst to take a 39-28 lead into the break.
Geneva never let Bethel get away, and another three-pointer from Rachic six minutes into the second half pulled the Golden Tornadoes within 50-43. Geneva could never get any closer, though.
Bethel would extend its lead as high as 67-51 with six minutes left. The Golden Tornadoes scored the next seven points to close within nine points, and Geneva had several chances to get even closer, but the Golden Tornadoes couldn't convert their chances late and eventually succumbed, 74-63.
Tipton led the offense, finishing with a game-high 27 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds. Rachic had strong game, finishing with 11 points, including 3-of-3 shooting from deep. Geneva hit 10-of-25 (40%) from three-point range and shot an almost identical percentage from the floor as Bethel. But the taller Pilots had a big edge on the boards, 50-34, including 19 offensive rebounds which led to 12 second-chance points.
"I thought we battled all game long," said Head Coach Jeff Santarsiero. "They certainly had a big size advantage pretty much across the board, but I thought we had our chances. That's a team we can beat, but we have to play better than we did tonight. I thought we had some chances in the second half to make it an even closer game, but a couple missed shots and turnovers late, and too many offensive rebounds given up was too much to overcome. But I'm proud of our effort. That's one thing I've never had to worry about with this group. We'll enjoy the day off tomorrow and get ready for Saturday."
Geneva will wrap up its season with a match-up with Fort Lauderdale at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The winner will clinch third place in the tournament.
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).
