BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva men's basketball team got out to a big lead against Bethany College on Tuesday night, and despite a late-game surge from the high-powered Bison offense the GTs were able to close out the contest with a 90-86 win. The Golden Tornadoes received excellent performances from several different players, and the 90 points is the most they've scored in a game this season. The men's record moves up to 3-6 overall, an even 3-3 in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play, while Bethany falls to 5-5 overall and remains winless in the PAC.

Early layups from graduate student Ryan Rachic and senior Mark Rachic gave Geneva the first lead of the game, 4-0, and then three-pointers on back-to-back possessions by graduate student KC Johns put the men in front 10-5. A few Bethany bench players checked in at that point and kept the Bison close for a few minutes, but a trey from junior Nick Million and a Ryan Rachic jumper gave the GTs their first double-digit lead of the game, 18-8, with 12:54 to play in the first half.

Those two baskets wound up being part of a greater 13-0 run for the men, which put them firmly in control at 26-8 just under 11 minutes in. The Golden Tornadoes stifled the Bethany offense and played patient basketball to break down the Bison press. The visitors began to knock down threes at that point, cutting into Geneva's lead, but the GTs went and scored another 11 consecutive points to regain command, highlighted by some strong play from freshman Tommy Coletti. The two sides traded baskets for the final three minutes, and Geneva went into the break with a 43-25 lead.

The Bison came out of halftime on a 9-3 run, forcing Geneva into a couple of turnovers. The men reset, getting a tip-in from Coletti and a turnaround jumper from Ryan Rachic to get back into the swing of things offensively. Junior Alec Srock began to get free around the paint, stretching the Bethany defense, and that allowed Geneva to score three baskets in a row to take a 56-39 lead with 12:39 to go.

Bethany responded well, however, outscoring Geneva 14-3 in one two-minute stretch to cut the Golden Tornadoes' lead to six points. Ryan Rachic hit a fadeaway jumper and Coletti laid one in to push the advantage back to double digits, but the Bison kept within striking distance. A big three-pointer by Johns pushed the difference to 12, and it stayed around there until about two minutes to play.

At that point, Bethany hit a stretch where they seemingly could not miss. The Bison hit a layup to cut the deficit to four points with 24 seconds remaining, and then forced Geneva into a turnover on the next possession. Needing a quick basket, the Bison inbound pass hit off the stretch of wall just above the passer that is considered out of bounds, resulting in a turnover. Geneva got the ball back, and the men hit their free throws to close out the game 90-86.

Ryan Rachic, as he has for most games this season, led Geneva offensively, scoring 24 points to go along with a career-high seven assists. Mark Rachic (20), Coletti, (16), and Srock (14) all had career-highs in points, and Coletti pulled down a career-best nine rebounds as well to lead the team. Johns contributed 11 points, six assists, and four steals. The Golden Tornadoes shot 33-of-64 (52%) from the field, including 6-of-15 (40%) from three-point range.

On the flip side, Ryan Reasbeck highlighted the Bethany performances, scoring 26 points on 6-of-8 shooting from deep. Cole Dailey recorded 17 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in the loss.

"We played really well early, and then kind of forgot what we were doing," said Head Coach Jeff Santarsiero after the game. "We started to turn the ball over in the second half, and we weren't playing smart. We were missing shots, and [the Bison] started hitting shots that they weren't hitting in the first half. I felt that Tommy Coletti kept us in the game, Ryan and Mark's physicality really helped us, and Alec had a tremendous game as well. We've got an early morning flight to look forward to now, and when we get down to Florida we'll face two quality teams."

As Santarsiero mentioned, the GTs' next two games will take place in Daytona Beach. Up next is a neutral site contest against Beloit College, slated to start at 6:00 PM this Thursday, December 19^th.

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).