The Lancaster Bible College Men's Basketball team played their first game in 12 days as they took on (RV) Drew in the F&M Holiday Tournament in Lancaster, Pa. on Monday afternoon, taking down the Rangers 88-80 for their third straight win. The Chargers improve to 9-2 overall and 1-0 in the United East while the Rangers drop to 8-2 overall and 3-1 in the Landmark.
 
How it Happened:
The Chargers began the scoring as junior Connor Storr hit a turnaround jumper, then after a Rangers three junior Camden Hurst drove to the basket for a layup plus the foul. After forcing a few turnovers, junior Daniel King got a layup to go and Hurst hit a deep jumper and another layup to give LBC a six-point lead. Then, seniors Mark Heidebrecht and Luke Rumbaugh each got buckets to go after a Drew timeout, capping an 11-point run for the Chargers en route to a double-digit lead at 15-5. The Rangers responded with nine straight points to chop the lead down to one before Storr got a layup, then Drew responded right away to keep it a one-point game. Hurst knocked down a three out of a timeout, then after a Drew layup the teams went scoreless for the next two and a half minutes before sophomore Bennett Bowers hit a pair of free throws. The Rangers then had five straight points including a steal and an and-one layup to tie the game at 23, then took the lead and forced a LBC timeout. Senior Reaves Hooks had a score to end the 8-0 Ranger run, then Drew got out to a lead as big as nine, marking a 19-point swing in the first half. Down 40-31, the Chargers launched a 9-0 scoring run to tie the game as Hurst had five points, followed by Bowers and Rumbaugh getting fast-break layups. Drew added two more before the half to take a 42-40 lead into the half.
 
The Chargers took the lead two minutes into the second half on a layup by Storr, but Drew hit a quick three in response. After tying the game again, the Rangers took a four-point lead before Rumbaugh had three straight points, then senior Tyshaun Pulley knocked down a three after an offensive foul by Drew to jump back on top 52-50. Bowers then hit a layup for a four-point lead, forcing a Rangers timeout after an 8-0 Charger run. Drew tied it back up at 54 with 12 minutes remaining, then King hit a layup and a free throw and Heidebrecht added another score to get the lead back. Heidebrecht stayed hot with another four points, helping LBC stay on top at 65-61 with about seven minutes to play with the Chargers' defense locking down. Freshman Jacob Lewis extended the lead to six on two free throws, then Hooks made two buckets to make the lead five points for the Chargers. Heidebrecht and Hurst kept up the scoring for a nine-point lead, then Rumbaugh extended the lead to 11 for LBC's largest lead of the game. Drew fought back late to cut the lead to five, but the Chargers were able to hold on and defeat the Rangers by eight points and advance to the tournament final.
 
By the Numbers:
- The Chargers shot 45-percent from the floor, 27-percent from 3-point range, and shot 57-percent from the free throw line on a season-high 47 attempts
- The Rangers shot 36-percent from the floor, 24-percent from three, and 82-percent on free throws
- The Chargers won the battle in points off turnovers with 30 to the Rangers' 17
- Camden Hurst led the Chargers with a game-high 23 points
- Luke Rumbaugh added 16 points off the bench including a career-best 10-12 on free throws
- Mark Heidebrecht notched career-highs of 10 points and eight rebounds
- The Rangers were led by Marc Herasme with a team-high 20 points off the bench with five made threes
 
Information to Know:
This was the Chargers' first-ever meeting with Drew in Men's Basketball and their first win over a team receiving votes in the D3Hoops.com National Poll since March 3, 2023 in the NCAA Tournament First Round over (RV) NYU. The Chargers have nine wins before January for the first time as a NCAA Division III program as they sit at 9-2 with one game left in 2025. Camden Hurst passed 700 career points with 23 today and leads the team with 20.5 points per game this season.
 
Up Next:
The Chargers will take on host Franklin & Marshall on the road tomorrow on Tuesday, December 30 in the F&M Holiday Tournament championship game at 4:00 p.m.