NASHVILLE – Bethel Men's Basketball had NCAA Division I program Belmont nervous for nearly 31 minutes, before the Bruins turned a tenuous 10-point margin into a 115-86 victory in an exhibition contest for the Pilots. Zac Owens and Jared DeHart led the Pilots with 21 points apiece.

GAME VITALS

• Score: Belmont def. Bethel 115-86
• Records: Bethel (8-6) | Belmont (10-3)
• Location: Curb Event Center | Belmont University | Nashville, Tenn.

STAT TRACKER

• Zac Owens: 21 pts, 4 ast, 4-6 3-pt
• Jared DeHart: 21 pts, 2 stl, 7-12 fg
• Drew Greene: 10 pts, 3 ast, 3-3 fg
• Jani Griffith: 8 pts, 5 reb, 3-5 fg

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• The Pilots held a double-digit lead over the hosts at 20-10 just 4:48 after the tip-off and held a lead for nearly the first 15 minutes of the game. Belmont would not grab their first double-digit lead until 18:02 in the second half and later used a 35-16 run to close out the game over the final nine minutes.
• Belmont had a plus-15 advantage over the Pilots at the free throw line
• Belmont used 12 offensive rebounds to score 19 second chance points and scored 50 points in the paint. 
• The Pilots shot over 50-percent from the field and made 11-of-23 long range attempts in the game.
• The Pilots committed 22 turnovers and the Bruins turned them into 29 points.
• The Pilots put up the third-most points the 10-3 Bruins have given up this season.
• The Pilots fall to 2-4 all-time against NCAA Division I programs, with wins against Valparaiso in 1992 and 1997, and their most recent loss prior to today to Notre Dame in an exhibition in 2017. 

THOUGHTS FROM COACH DRABYN

• "I was really proud of our players for the mentality and confidence they started the game with. We played with speed and executed our stuff well against a really good defensive team. We were active defensively and made some plays to get us going. Our team is capable of being very good when Jared DeHart and Zac Owens play with confidence. It makes things easier for everyone else. We also got some very good minutes from Wesley Burse, Garrett Suedekum, and Drew Greene."
• "Our guys did a good job responding to Belmont's runs, but to win a game like this, we can't turn it over 22 times and put them on the line 31 times. We have to take care of the ball to keep them out of transition and play defense without fouling."
• "But it was a good experience for our players, will make them better, and I am so grateful [Belmont Head Coach] Casey Alexander provided us with the opportunity to play them."

NEXT TIME OUT

• The Pilots return to action on December 29 with a trip to New Albany against IU Southeast.

For the latest information on each of Bethel University's 31 intercollegiate athletic teams, visit BUPilots.com or follow the Pilots on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @BUPilots or on YouTube at /BethelSportsNetwork.