Wildcats Hold Off Late Surge, Down Florida College at Home

MCKENZIE, Tenn. — The Bethel Wildcats earned their fifth win of the season Friday night, outlasting Florida College 94–85 in an up-tempo matchup inside Crisp Arena. The Wildcats used a strong first half and timely second-half scoring to win in the Centennial Classic  and improve to 5–1.

Bethel set the tone early, shooting 39 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes and building a 39–28 halftime advantage. The Wildcats then turned up the offensive efficiency after the break, knocking down nearly 65 percent of their shots to stay in front despite the Falcons' late push.

Chauncey Hughes III led the effort with a season-best 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including four three-pointers, while also adding four assists and three steals. Brayden Nunnally and Ethan Turner provided consistent interior scoring, each finishing with 15 points, with Nunnally pulling down a team-high eight rebounds. Jackson Hayes helped orchestrate the offense, dishing out five assists.

Bethel's bench continued to shine, contributing 33 points, highlighted by David Starr's eight and Taylor Stovall's six. The Wildcats dominated the paint with 48 points inside and capitalized on turnovers, scoring 22 points off Florida College miscues.

Florida College made things interesting in the second half, shooting nearly 63 percent after halftime. Malik Beauford fueled the rally with 23 points, while Sam Massaquoi added 18 and Pierce Shirk hit four threes on his way to 16 points.

The Falcons trimmed the deficit to single digits late, but Bethel's control on the glass and efficient shooting closed out the win.

With momentum building and the offense finding rhythm, the Wildcats continue to position themselves well heading into the next stretch of the season.

The Cats face a tough and talented LSU-A team to close out the classic at 6 p.m.