Print edition: 
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. —Friends couldn't handle the half-court offense and full-court defense of Bethel (Ind.) when it mattered most Wednesday.
The Falcons' 77-67 first-round loss in the NAIA Division II men's tournament saw them commit 23 turnovers and allow the Pilots to score their final 21 points off layups or free throws.
"We fell apart down the stretch defensively," Friends guard Chris Jackson said. "We didn't stay with our man, we let penetration happen and they got a lot of easy baskets. We broke down."
Bethel shot 26 percent (7 of 27) from the floor in the first half. But once the Pilots (28-6) decided to work the ball inside, they hit 63 percent of their shots in the second half. Forward Tyler Brown led Bethel with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
"We got extended late and lost a little bit of our discipline," Friends coach Dale Faber said of his team's defense. "They got too many easy ones."
The Falcons (25-7) were in control for the majority of the game, holding a 28-21 lead at halftime against the ninth-seeded Pilots. Jackson exploded in the second half as Friends maintained the upper hand. After scoring nine points in the first half, he scored 21 in the first 15 minutes of the first half.
"He had a great game," Faber said. "Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough."
Jackson was scoreless over the final five minutes. He missed a three-point attempt, a running jumper and a layup over that stretch.
A 63-all game gradually turned to Bethel's favor.
Friends' last gasp came while the Falcons trailed 70-67. But with 37 seconds to play, Bethel's Ryne Lightfoot made two free throws to give the Pilots a 72-67 lead.
"My last three shots were kind of forced," Jackson said. "I was looking at the scoreboard too much and trying to make a play. That's why I started missing."
Jackson made 11 of 24 shots, including 5 of 9 three-pointers. The rest of the Falcons were 17 of 56 (30 percent).
"We couldn't put the ball in the hole like we usually do," said forward Romar Jones, who had 15 points. "As a senior, I didn't step up and play like I was supposed to."
Friends' offense also had trouble getting past Bethel's full-court pressure.
"Instead of taking our time, we rushed ourselves too much," Jackson said. "They did a good job (defensively) and we rushed ourselves on top of it."
FRIENDS (25-7): Jackson 11-24 3-4 30, Jones 6-12 2-4 15, Hyde 5-6 0-0 10, Heard 0-5 0-0 0, Richardson 1-9 0-0 2, Bridges 2-4 0-1 4, Ellis 0-1 0-0 0, Hull 2-2 0-0 4, O'Nelio 1-4 0-0 2, Steven 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 28-70 5-9 67.
BETHEL, IND. (28-6): Benford 4-12 0-0 10, Brown 8-11 4-8 20, Welch 2-33-6 7, Lightfoot 2-7 8-9 13, C. Laidig 3-9 2-2 8, Booker 0-1 0-0 0, Bowerman 0-0 0-0 0, W. Laidig 3-8 2-4 9, Moser 0-0 0-0 0, Ward 4-6 0-0 10. Totals 26-57 19-29 77.
Halftime—Friends 28-21. Three-point shooting—Friends 6-22 (Jackson 5-9, Jones 1-4, O'Nelio 0-2, Steven 0-2, Richardson 0-5), Bethel 6-19 (Ward 2-4, Benford 2-7, W. Laidig 1-1, Lightfoot 1-4, Booker 0-1, C. Laidig 0-2). Rebounds—Friends 41 (Hull, Jackson 7), Bethel 39 (C. Laidig 8). Assists—Friends 10 (Jackson 4), Bethel 13 (Benford, Brown, C. Laidig, Lightfoot, W. Laidig, Ward 2).
