NEWTON, Kan. (Interstat) — Dominick Harris orchestrated a dominant first-quarter surge and Trenton Patterson provided a prolific scoring punch as the Bethel (Kan.) Threshers avenged an earlier loss with a decisive 90-68 victory over the Evangel Valor in an NAIA men’s basketball game Saturday at Thresher Gym.

The most important part of the game was the opening period, where Bethel established immediate and overwhelming control. The Threshers erupted for 46 points in the first quarter, fueled by a blistering start from Harris. The guard scored seven of his team’s first nine points, including a 3-pointer, and later added another three to cap the quarter, giving Bethel a 46-24 lead. Evangel never recovered from the early onslaught, which saw Bethel shoot efficiently and capitalize on numerous Valor misses and turnovers in the game’s opening minutes.

Harris, the top star for Bethel, finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, narrowly missing a triple-double. His all-around performance set the tone, but Patterson was the primary scorer, pouring in a game-high 24 points, including four 3-pointers. Carmelo Yakubu added 15 points and eight rebounds, and Drew Rodriguez chipped in 12 points for a balanced Threshers attack.

Evangel, which defeated Bethel 74-69 on Dec. 6, was led by Jacob Lafferty’s 21 points. Harrison Doennig scored 13 and Bryce Ware added 12 off the bench, but the Valor struggled to find consistent offense outside of those efforts. The Valor’s early deficit proved too large to overcome, as Bethel maintained at least a 20-point cushion for nearly the entire second half.

The Threshers improved to 16-5 overall with the win, while Evangel fell to 12-8. The game was played in front of an announced crowd of 1,200.

Bethel entered the contest as a heavy favorite according to analytics, with Interstat’s ELO system giving the Threshers a 77.6% probability to win, a projection they fulfilled convincingly from the opening tip.

The Threshers’ victory snapped a three-game losing skid and provided a momentum boost as they enter the final stretch of conference play. Evangel will look to regroup quickly, with a home game against Sterling scheduled for Monday.

Both teams continue Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference action next week. Bethel travels to face Sterling on Wednesday, while Evangel hosts Saint Mary on the same night.