STERLING, Kan. — Sterling College fell to Bethany College, 91-88, in a closely contested matchup on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at the Gleason Center. Despite Sterling’s strong second-half performance, where they outscored the Swedes 50-37, they were unable to overcome Bethany’s early 18-point lead.
The first half began with Sterling gaining an early edge through back-to-back buckets by Chris Drake, an early three from Monem Abboud and a jumper by Julian Smith, pushing the home team ahead 9–6. The Warriors maintained momentum with consistent scoring in the paint, aided by defensive stops, including a block from Smith. Despite this effort, Bethany responded with a series of 3-pointers, creating multiple lead changes.
Midway through the half, Sterling struggled to sustain its early lead as Bethany capitalized on turnovers and fast breaks, extending their advantage. The Warriors managed to keep the score competitive with free throws, but Bethany’s perimeter shooting and fast break points proved pivotal. The half closed with Bethany leading 54–38, after a late surge increased their separation.
Sterling initiated a momentum shift in the second half with Amiri Ndayisaba‘s consecutive three-pointers early at 18:13 and 17:40, narrowing the gap. Smith further fueled the offensive push by hitting multiple 3-pointers throughout the half, contributing significantly to the Warrior’s scoring efforts. By maintaining strong defensive rebounding and benefiting from Damond Daniels‘ assists, Sterling maintained pressure on the visitors.
As the half progressed, Sterling continued to close the deficit with critical free throws and strategic plays, including a layup by Jaivion Reed that tied the game at 67 with 9:23 remaining. Smith’s subsequent 3-pointer at 8:57 granted Sterling a brief lead. Despite the Swedes’ late scoring, Sterling managed to keep the score competitive with timely scoring and defensive stops, but the Swedes 86.7% from the charity stripe helped keep Bethany in control.
A pair of made free throws with seven seconds remaining by the Swedes’ JJ Warfield gave Bethany a four-point advantage. Sterling tried to respond with Daniels pushing the issue and getting fouled on a three-pointer with 1.3 remaining. However, a missed second free throw put the Warriors in a tricky situation. Despite the perfectly executed missed free throw and tip out, Smith’s made three-pointer to tie the game came too late, and Sterling ended the half narrowly behind at 91-88.
Smith led the team with 30 points, including four 3-pointers and 10 free throws, while collecting eight rebounds. Drake added a strong performance with double-double that included 13 points and 13 rebounds, alongside two steals. Daniels contributed six points and four assists. Monem Abboud scored seven points, converting two out of five shots from beyond the arc. Off the bench, Amiri Ndayisaba was 3-6 from the three-point line to add in nine points while Camren Johnson chipped in 11.
Up next, the Warriors (7-10, 4-7) will travel to Winfield, Kan. to take on Southwestern (12-5, 6-5) on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 3 p.m.
Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors’ live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
