SOUTH BEND – Tanner Shepherd turned in a big performance to help his Bethel College men’s basketball team pick up a win Wednesday night.

The former Triton star tied for game-high honors with 19 points as the No. 22 Pilots surged late to top host IUSB 80-70.

Shepherd, a senior guard for Bethel, came off the bench to play 31 minutes in the victory. He hit 7-13 shots from the field and went 4-4 from the free throw line.

Bethel, which improves to 3-0, closed the game with a 10-2 run. The Pilots, who were coming off an 88-59 loss to Notre Dame in an exhibition game last Friday night, led 32-30 at halftime. Bethel is now 60-6 all-time versus IUSB.

Bethel senior Gage Ott, a LaPorte product, also had 19 points and also hauled down 12 rebounds. Junior Paul Forman, who hails from Churubusco, had 17 points and former Penn standout Ryan Lutz eight points for Bethel.

Sophomore guard Chase Fierstos, a Manchester high School graduate, had two points for the Pilots.

First-year Bethel coach Ryne Lightfoot, a former standout player at NorthWood, tied the best start for a new Bethel men’s coach with the win. The younger Lightfoot, who previously served as an assistant coach for the Pilots, replaced his father Mike.

Rashaan Jackson, a Warsaw alum, had two points for IUSB, which drops to 4-1. Jackson, a junior guard, started and also had five rebounds in the contest.

Taylor Brook had 18 points and eight rebounds and Jackson Edwards 17 points to lead IUSB.

Bethel hosts the Bethel Classic Friday and Saturday. The Pilots play East-West (Illinois) Friday at 8 p.m. and face Lincoln Christian (Illinois) at 3 p.m. Saturday.

IUSB will host Robert Morris on Wednesday night.