SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. - Menlo College was dealt another crushing defeat when it fell 101-100 to Bethany in double overtime on Thursday night in a California Pacific Conference contest.
As if losing seven straight games weren't bad enough, the Oaks last five losses have come by a total of 12 points with four of them by two points or fewer. Menlo is now 0-3 in the Cal Pac and 4-11 overall while Bethany is 1-2 and 2-14.
After two straight games in which Menlo gave up sizeable leads, the Oaks rallied from behind against the Bruins. Menlo trailed 42-34 at halftime before putting up 50 second-half points to force overtime. The score was tied at 93 after the first overtime and Menlo came up agonizingly short in the final tally once again.
Bethany used the great equalizer to steal the game from Menlo: 3-point shooting. Even though the Oaks shot 58.5 percent from the field and sunk 19-of-23 free throws, the Bruins found their home rims very kind as they drained 11-of-24 attempts from beyond the arc, which more than made up for just 50 percent shooting from the free throw line. Bethany turned the ball over just seven times in 50 minutes of action.
Julian Harris led all scorers with 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field and three 3-pointers. Harris added seven rebounds and five assists in 42 minutes on the court. Nick McCullar nearly registered a triple-double, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. The junior forward was 8-of-10 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
Tyler Rajnus added 14 points, Tim Kees scored 12 points with eight rebounds, and Andrew Young tallied seven points. The Oaks grabbed 40 rebounds to just 26 for Bethany.
Jason Maples scored 24 points and dished out nine assists for Bethany while Tauran Moore had 15 points and nine assists. Micah Jones scored 17 points, Joey Kreuter had 16, and Ron Houston 15.
Menlo will try to right its ship when it leaves conference play to battle UC Santa Cruz (6-11) on the road Saturday at 7 p.m. The Oaks beat UC Santa Cruz 79-75 in overtime in Redlands, Calif. in December.