The Lancaster Bible College men's basketball team got back into the win column on Saturday evening, downing Gallaudet, 88-82 at Horst Athletic Center. After having their four-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday by Penn St. Harrisburg, the Chargers earned the win on Saturday, and improved to 10-10 overall and 8-3 in North Eastern Athletic Conference play, while the Bison dropped to 4-16 overall and 4-7 in conference play.
 
Jordan Shewbridge was at his absolute best for the second straight game, as he poured in a career-high 36 points, helping the Chargers back to the .500 mark.
 
How it Happened: The teams traded baskets early in the first half, though turnovers hurt the Chargers in the early going. Despite that, Lancaster Bible sophomore Jordan Shewbridge hit his second straight 3-pointer to give the Chargers a 14-11 lead with 13:01 to play in the opening half. The game swung Gallaudet's way in the middle of the half, and two free throws from Preston Kelly gave the Bison a 25-21 advantage with 8:38 remaining.
 
The Bison then took a 36-28 lead on a jumper from Kelly with 4:03 to play, but Lancaster Bible chipped away, and used a layup from Britton Beachy and a triple from Brett Bechler to claw back to within three. Bechler's 3-pointer with 3:09 to play would be the last points of the half however for the Chargers, and Gallaudet closed on a 6-0 run for a 42-33 halftime lead.
 
Lancaster Bible's deficit grew to 13 early in the second half, but a 10-0 run over a 1:59 span cut the Bison lead to 46-43 with 15:47 to play. Shewbridge had two 3-pointers during the run, and Beachy capped it with a jumper in the paint. Four free throws on back-to-back possessions from Luke Beers gave the Chargers a 50-49 lead, and Shewbridge's layup with 13:35 to play extended it to 52-49, as Lancaster Bible completed a 19-7 run over the first 6:25 of the second half.
 
The Chargers used another big run two minutes later to take a 65-56 lead midway through the half, as Shewbridge had eight more points, and William Afoakwah capped the run with a fastbreak layup. Lancaster Bible would eventually lead by 12, but it was Gallaudet's turn to comeback this time, and the Bison trimmed their deficit to two, 72-70, with 5:20 remaining after another 3-pointer from Kelly.
 
Shewbridge continued to score for the Chargers, and his layup with 1:48 to play gave Lancaster Bible an 81-77 lead, and after a Gallaudet miss, Beers drove to the basket and his tough layup went through the hoop, and the Chargers led by six with 1:11 remaining. Gallaudet would cut it to 84-82 with 24 seconds to play, but Beers made two more free throws, and Tyler Norris put the game away with a layup with five seconds remaining.
 
By the Numbers: Lancaster Bible shot 56.6 percent (30-of-53) from the floor, including 13-of-22 from 3-point range…Gallaudet shot 49.1 percent (26-of-53) from the field, and was 13-of-28 from beyond the arc…Shewbridge's career high 36 points came on 14-of-21 shooting, including 7-of-10 from 3-point rage…He also added six rebounds and three assists, while Bechler added 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting…Beachy added 11 points and four assists, while Luke Beers was the fourth player in double figures with 11 points, three boards, and three assists…Norris chipped in with seven points and three boards, while Afoakwah had six points and eight rebounds…Adam Stoltzfus added three points and four boards…Gallaudet's Preston Kelly had 30 points to pace the Bison.
 
The Coach Says: "I'm proud that our team found a way to beat a gritty and determined Gallaudet team," Lancaster Bible Head Coach Jon Mack said. "I thought Gallaudet played well and was deserving to win. We lacked purpose, and when that happens, you are lost and you lack passion. That was us in the first half, but give credit to our guys, we found ourselves at the right time."
 
On the team's defensive play: "Our lack of defense and inability to take care of the ball was an eyesore this week, and we have to get back to our defensive identity and stop giving our opponents extra possessions," Mack said.
 
News & Notes: Lancaster Bible is now 11-9 all-time against Gallaudet…The Chargers defeated the Bison, 72-63 in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 22…Lancaster Bible is 7-3 at Horst Athletic Center this season…The 88 points scored by Lancaster Bible are a season-high…The Chargers shot over 54 percent from the floor for the third time this season…Lancaster Bible tied for a season-low with seven offensive rebounds, but won the rebounding edge, 32-24 over the Bison...Shewbridge's 36 points are the most since Quentin Davis scored 38 against Wells on Feb. 9, 2019.
 
Up Next: The Chargers are at Penn College on Wednesday night at 5 p.m.