Master’s Falls Again in Title Game, 80-77

For the second consecutive season, The Master’s College fell one win shy of a National Christian College Athletic Assn. basketball championship.

Bethel (Tenn.) College was the spoiler Saturday, handing The Master’s an 80-77 loss in the championship game at Indiana Wesleyan in Marion, Ind.

Jason Webster scored 24 points to lead The Master’s (23-12), which trailed, 36-33, at halftime.

The Master’s led by as many as eight in the first half but trailed by 13 with 3 minutes 52 seconds to play.

The Master’s made 45.7% (32 of 70) of its field-goal attempts but shot only nine free throws, making seven.

Bethel (27-10) made 21 of 29 free throws and 24 of 65 (36.9%) shots.

Joe Jon Bryant had 11 points and 12 rebounds and Tom Bruner and Damon Greer each added 10 points for The Master’s.

Webster had eight rebounds and Greer had nine assists.

Brian Bechtel scored 22 points and Mark Galloway added 14 for Bethel.

Bechtel hit six of 10 shots from three-point range and all four of his free throws.

The Mustangs connected on six of 20 three-point shots.

Last season, John Brown (Ark.) University beat The Master’s, 92-85, in the championship game.