Donta Watson admitted that his finals week included a little more than studying.
“We knew we were getting a week off,” Watson said, “so I wanted to try to work on my shot as much as I could.”
The senior’s hard work showed on Saturday, as his season-high 30 points led No. 22 ESU to a 109-76 runaway victory over Bethany.
Watson’s hot shooting streak actually never stopped, as he finished 11 of 18 from the floor and 6 of 10 from three-point range. His 30-point effort came despite playing only 24 minutes.
He wasn’t the only one that shot it well early. ESU made 17 of its first 21 shots in the game (81 percent) and also 11 of its first 12 two-point attempts.
“We knew we could pretty much score anytime,” Watson said.
Stopping Bethany, however, was an entirely different matter.
Despite shooting 72 percent in the first half and making all 12 of their free-throw attempts, the Hornets only led, 61-42, at intermission because of defensive breakdowns.
“It was pretty much what I expected,” ESU coach David Moe said. “I was glad we were able to make shots.”
ESU continued its scoring roll in half two, extending its advantage with 11 minutes to go.
The Hornets went on a 12-0 run, with seven of those points coming from Watson. After a Wes Book three, Watson hit a layup and a pull-up jumper to make it 92-65 ESU.
On the next possession, he pulled up from the top of the circle for his sixth and final 3-pointer, giving him seven straight points and also 30 for the game.
The guard said he had no idea that he had hit the 30-point threshold.
“I was not aware,” Watson said, “but I knew I was shooting pretty good, though.”
Ed Desir’s lay-in capped the run, which gave ESU a 97-65 advantage. Dustin Andrews hit a 3-pointer 90 seconds later, giving the Hornets 102 points with 7 minutes, 13 seconds left in the game.
Watson also finished with a team-high eight assists for ESU. He ended the first half with 17 points and six assists.
ESU forward Caleb Tegtmeier asserted himself inside, scoring 16 points in 18 minutes. He was 5-of-5 from the floor, 1-of-1 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
The 6-foot-5 forward benefited from playing against Bethany post players more his size as compared to the taller players he has to go up against in conference.
“It’s a lot different from the MIAA,” Tegtmeier said. “I think Bethany started guys that were 6-5, 6-5, and that might have been pushing it.”
Book and DeAndre Townsend added 15 points apiece for ESU.
The Hornets won despite not having the services of forward Jordan Fithian. The junior is nursing a foot injury that has gotten worse in recent weeks.
Moe said he didn’t expect Fithian to miss any more action.
With the win, ESU moved to 9-0 for the first time since the 1926-27 season.
The team will have another long layoff, sitting out 12 days before taking on Friends University at home on Dec. 28. Two days later, the Hornets start conference play back up with a home date against Southwest Baptist.