Gus Schwieterman scored 22 points for the Bethel boys’ basketball team, and they needed every one of them, as they knocked off Tri-Village 62-53 in a Cross County Conference game on Friday night at the Beehive.

“They are a great program, and we have struggled as a young team,” Bethel coach Rick Hickman said after the game. “We have worked on being disciplined when we get down early. We got down tonight eight or nine points, and we have made some strides in that part of the game.”
“These kids have a winning attitude, and their hearts are big enough to fight through it.”
Tri-Village jumped in front early 13-6 before Bethel fought back. Kyle Hamlin buried a three to bring the Bees back to within four, and they remained down for the remainder of the first quarter. Schwieterman scored a three-point play in the final minute to get Bethel to within three.
Bethel fell down by seven points with 2:26 left in the half, but bounced back again, as Schwieterman scored four quick points to bring Bethel back to within 27-24.
Drew Moore, who is among the leading scorers in the Miami Valley, drained a long three to push the Patriots lead back out to 30-24. Moore was held in check in the opening half, but ended up with 22 points.
Trailing by five as the half ended, Bethel still stared at a 36-31 early in the third quarter when they turned things around.
Schwieterman connected on a three, followed by another by Dusty Elsass, putting Bethel in front 37-36 with 3:10 left in the period.
Bethel took over to begin the fourth, as Hamlin nailed a three, putting the Bees in front 43-41. It was the last time the lead would change.
Schwieterman scored five points to push the Bees lead to 50-46, and Patrick Bain added to the lead with a short jumper. But Moore answered with three free throws to keep the Patriots in the game.
Leading by three with 1:13 left, Hamlin hit a pair of free throws, and David Elam was 3-4 from the line, giving Bethel a 59-51 lead with 29.7 seconds left.
“We challenged the kids at halftime, and told them if we give them three shots to our one, we would lose,” Hickman said. “They were getting a lot of tries, and we were not checking out.”
Schwieterman finished with a solid game, and Hickman praised him for his efforts.
“We felt he had the edge on their big guy, and we wanted to keep pounding the ball inside to him.”