February 18, 2015

Extra opportunities cost Wolverines at Bethany

BETHANY, W.Va. -- Turnovers and offensive rebounds were the difference for the Grove City College men's basketball team on Wednesday night as the Wolverines dropped a 77-61 decision at Presidents' Athletic Conference foe Bethany at Hummel Field House.

The Wolverines (9-15, 4-11 PAC) committed 22 turnovers while forcing just 14 and allowed 18 Bethany offensive rebounds, which collectively led to 13 additional Bison field goal attempts.

Junior forward Caleb Knudsen (Saylorsville, Pa./Piux X) led the Wolverines with 11 points, a game-high 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals while senior guard Mitch Marmelstein (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./St. Margaret's) also scored 11 points.

Bethany (15-9, 10-5) scored first and led 6-4 five minutes in but the Wolverines quickly responded with three-straight threes from senior guard J.T. Schwartz (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler), Marmelstein and senior forward Brian Giesler (Harrisville, Pa./Slippery Rock) to make it a 13-6 Wolverine advantage with 13:20 remaining.

After the Bison came back to tie the game at 15-15, the Wolverines received a spark off the bench in the form of freshman forward Scott McSweeney (Brighton, Mich./Franklin Road Christian), who scored six-straight Grove City points to give the Wolverines a 21-18 lead with 6:32 left in the half. Bethany would answer, however, with a 12-3 run to reclaim a six-point lead before sophomore Stephen Tam (Hamilton, Mass./Hamilton-Wenham) hit a three to close the gap to 30-27 at halftime.

 Giesler would open the second half with a three to tie the game at 30-30, but Bethany would score six quick points to push their lead back to six. The Wolverines would keep it close, trading baskets and trailing just by five at 43-38 following a Knudsen putback with 13:56 remaining, but the Bison would counter once again with a 13-2 run to take their largest lead of the game at 56-40 with 10:30 to play.

Grove City would make one final push, using a 10-2 run to cut the Bison lead to 63-56 with 5:20 left, and Schwartz would keep the gap at seven by answering a Bethany three with one of his own at the four-minute mark, but that would be as close as the Wolverines would get.

Schwartz and McSweeney each added eight points for the Wolverines. Delonte' Joyce led Bethany with a game-high 28 points.

Grove City was outrebounded 40-31. The Wolverines shot 43 percent (22-51) from the floor, 42 percent (10-24) from three and 78 percent (7-9) from the foul line.

Grove City closes its regular season at Thiel on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Box Score

GROVE CITY'S 1,000-POINT CLUB

1-Jeff Claypool (1965-69)            2,234
2-Bob Crow (1979-83)                 1,450
3-Joe Buckley (1985-89)              1,413
4-MITCH MARMELSTEIN (2011-Pres.)     1,353
5-John Cochran (1966-70)             1,352
6-Tanner Prosser (1999-2003)         1,263
7-Mark Timko (1991-94)               1,255
8-Fred Schwab (1970-74)              1,215
9-Deron Ryan (1984-88)               1,205
10-Tim Mokma (1987-91)               1,197
11-Bill Fox (1975-79)                1,192
12-Tom Robinson (1957-62)            1,181
13-Mark Smith (1979-83)              1,171
14-Andy O'Keefe (2006-10)            1,164
16-Jim Wherley (1993-97)             1,162
16-Bart Niemeyer (1958-62)           1,145
17-Shawn Carr (2004-08)              1,121
18-Brett Matson (2008-12)            1,108
19-Benjamin Davis (1990-94)          1,094
20-Ryan Gibson (2005-09)             1,079
21-Dave Marovich (1962-65)           1,072
22-Ron Arrington (1962-66)           1,069
23-Ryan Eller (2001-05)              1,068
24-Mike Donahoe (1975-79)            1,051
25-Dan Von Handorf (1992-96)         1,029
26-Dutch Leonard (1955-59)           1,013