HOUSTON – The University of St. Thomas men's basketball team played from behind the whole way, and couldn't overcome Bethel College, falling 89-80 Saturday night in the Celts Classic at the Jerbeck Activity & Athletic Center.
The Celts (10-4) trailed by eight when Orowo Eleyae (SR/Houston, Texas) drove and scored at the 1:40 mark. Nathan Thormaehlen (JR/Katy, Texas) sank two free throws 37 seconds later as UST cut it to 83-78. But Jaylon Scott sank a pair of free throws to pad Bethel's lead to seven with 45 seconds remaining, and the Celts couldn't get over the hump.
St. Thomas shot 43.8 percent, while Bethel (9-6) shot 49.2 percent.
Paris Marquez (SR/Atascocita, Texas) scored 22 points on 8 of 10 shooting, and Eleyae had 19 points and eight rebounds. Thormaehlen had 10 points and nine boards, and Cameron Gims (FR/Cypress, Texas) 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks for the Celts. Kiesean Weiher had 21 points on 9 of 11 shooting, and Garrett White scored 19 for the Threshers.
Gims scored off a turnover as the Celts drew within 48-43 early in the second half. Marquez buried a triple to make it a three-point game. Marquez stuck a 12-foot jumper on a kick-out from Kennard Robinson (JR/Houston, Texas) to get UST within one, but Bethel scored on three straight possessions to push the lead out to 61-52 with 13 minutes to play.
Marquez found Eleyae on nicely-executed play to bring UST within 61-57. Freddie Ricks (FR/Cypress, Texas) hit a triple to cut it to three, but Sam Morgan answered with a triple of his own for Bethel. Sam Flores (SR/El Paso, Texas) hit two corner threes to keep the Celts within one possession. But Dakota Foster canned two straight threes to extend the Threshers lead out to 10 with 3:14 to go.
The Celts were 7 of 28 from three-point range. The Threshers hit 14 of 25 triples.
Bethel opened up a 16-4 lead 4:29 into the game. Thormaehlen hit a 3-pointer to cut it to 19-11, but the Threshers pushed the lead back to 14 on two consecutive triples by Garrett White. Kiesan Wieher converted a three-point play to cap a 10-0 run that put Bethel on top, 35-13. St. Thomas responded by outscoring the Threshers, 23-9, the rest of the half to pull within 44-35 at the break.
The Celts were 12 of 30 from the floor in the first half, but went 3 of 14 from long range. The Threshers went 14 of 29 from the field and 9 of 15 from the 3-point line.
St. Thomas will host Jarvis Christian 7:30 p.m. Friday in a Red River Athletic Conference game.
