The Falcons jumped out to a 23-5 run as Bethany got off to a slow start, and went into halftime with a 17-point lead over the Swedes. Bethany heated up in the second half, and pulled within eight points just halfway through the second half. However, Friends hung on, handing the Swedes an 83-75 loss.

"We did not begin that game with the kind of defensive energy we needed to have," said head coach Clair Oleen. "The second time out in the first half, we changed some of our defense, some of the rules of the defense, which is more along the lines of what we have used versus Friends against their inside/power triangle. We probably should have done that from get go, but we didn't know if our guys could deal with doing different things."

Senior Rodd Williams had a team-high 20 points, followed by senior Jason Schneider with 12 and junior Sol Byrd, Jr. with ten. Senior Brandon Miller and junior Vincent Ferguson each grabbed five rebounds as junior Manual Honeycutt added five. Williams and freshman Clayton Goggins each tallied three assists as Schneider, Byrd, Jr., and Honeycutt all added two. Miller snuck three steals on the night as Williams and senior Kendall Banning each grabbed two.

"When we made that defensive switch, it really raised the energy level," Oleen said. "We did a great job defending, and got the offense going. We didn't shoot the ball well at all, but we had 31 offensive boards, which is a pretty high number. Sometimes that happens when you are shooting the ball poorly. If you work hard and crash, you can get some nice second opportunities. But as we came down the stretch, we didn't quite get it done. It was a disappointing loss, and there is no doubt in our minds that if we defend the entire 40 minutes like we did the last 30, we come out with a pretty nice win. It is disappointing, but lesson learned."

Bethany then rounded out the week with a road game at Sterling College.

Fans saw a tight first half as Bethany and Sterling went back and forth with each other. The Swedes entered halftime with a two-point lead. The Warriors pulled close to the Swedes in the second half, but Bethany held on for an 80-75 win, their first KCAC victory of the season.

"Against Sterling, despite giving up 75 points, at times we guarded relatively well," Oleen said. "We became a better offensive rebounding team. We didn't shoot well in the first half, but we defended relatively well in the second half and probably shot better. We won the rebounding battle, but it was relatively close. We did make free throws, which was quite a change from the norm for us. Hopefully it will be a case of things to come in how to shoot from line."

Williams had a team-high 22 points, followed by Ferguson with 16. Honeycutt tacked on 13 points while Schneider added 12. Williams and Ferguson each grabbed nine rebounds while Schneider added seven and Miller contributed six. Williams totaled five assists on the night, along with three from Schneider. Honeycutt and Ferguson both snuck two steals in the contest.

"We are pleased we got the win on the road, but at the same time we are disappointed with how we finished. We were up by 16, but did everything we could to let them get back into the game. It got pretty tight in the last couple minutes, but it was a good road win. A lot of guys contributed, and we put in guys off the bench. So hopefully our execution at triangle at times shows signs of coming together a little bit if we consistently defend and rebound, which is something we can control, which is big for us."

The Swedes are now 1-1 in the KCAC, in seventh place, and 3-7 overall. The squad heads to Bethel College on Thursday, December 10 before returning home to host McPherson College on Saturday, December 12. Tip offs are set for 8 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.