(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - Junior small forward Brandon Housley (Covington, Ky./Holmes) scored 15 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to record a double-double today (Wednesday, February 13, 2013) as the Thomas More College men's basketball team defeated Bethany College, 73-69, in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

With the win, the Saints improve to 21-3 overall and 14-1 in the PAC and will play Saint Vincent College on Saturday (February, 16) for the PAC regular season title and the No. 1 seed in next week's PAC Championship Tournament.  Tip-off on Saturday is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Carey Center in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.  With the loss, the Bison fall to 15-9 overall and 9-6 in the PAC.

Thomas More took an early 7-3 lead when Housley made a lay-up with 16:47 to play in the first half.  Bethany answered with a 13-6 run capped by a Darrian Bruster three-pointer to take a 16-13 lead with 10:45 to play in the half.  The Saints responded with a 7-0 run to retake the lead at 20-16 with 8:48 to play in the first half when junior point guard D'Carlo Hayes (Louisville, Ky./Male) made a three-pointer.  The Bison used a 17-3 run to build a 33-23 lead with 1:20 to play in the half when Tyron Smothers made two free-throws.  Thomas More closed out the half on a 4-0 run to cut the lead to 33-27 at halftime when sophomore power forward Al Upshaw (Cincinnati, Ohio/Gamble Montessori) made two free-throws with 23-seconds to play in the first half.

The Saints opened the second half on a 33-16 run to take a 60-49 lead with 8:17 to play in the game when sophomore shooting guard Drew Mumford (Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy) made a lay-up.  Bethany answered with a 14-5 run to cut the lead to 65-63 when Leslie Addy made one-of-two free-throws with 2:44 to play in the game.  That would be as close as Bethany would come as Thomas More would extend the lead to as many as nine points as it closed out the game on an 8-6 run for the 73-69 victory.

Three other Saints joined Housley in double-figure scoring as Hayes scored a team-high 19 points, Mumford added 16 points and junior point guard Spencer Berlekamp (Cincinnati, Ohio/Kings) finished with 10 points.  Hayes, Berlekamp and junior power forward Josef Marshall (Dayton, Ohio/Trotwood Madison) led the team in assists with four each, while Housley and Marshall led the team in steals with three each.