PASADENA, Calif. – Caltech Men's Basketball erased a 12-point deficit Monday evening to pull off a huge comeback win against Bethesda University (Anaheim, Calif.).

Things started off slowly for the Beavers as the visiting Flames claimed the first seven points of the contest before senior Kyle McGraw (Los Altos Hills, Calif. / The Nueva School) got his team on the board with a layup. Another one from classmate Jack Pierson (Slayton, Minn. / Murray County Central) followed by a three-pointer by fellow senior Ben Juarez (El Dorado Hills, Calif. / Oak Ridge) tied the game. Layups by senior Chase Pagon (Solana Beach, Calif. / Santa Fe Christian) and sophomore Riley Wood (Richmond, Va. / St. Christopher's School) made it an 11-0 scoring run and gave Caltech a four-point lead just over five minutes into the game.

After Bethesda rallied to an 11-11 tie, freshman Sidd Shendrikar (Los Angeles / New Roads School) and sophomore James Downs (Huntington Beach, Calif. / Huntington Beach) dropped in layups to regain the four-point cushion at the 11:49 mark.  Both teams cooled off for a few minutes before Bethesda surged ahead while the Beavers struggled in the field, scoring only on free throws until senior Pavlos Stavrinides (Nicosia, Cyprus / The English School of Nicosia) dished to Hicks for a three pointer in the last minute of the half, and Caltech would trail by a 31-22 score at the break.

The Flames scored on the first possession of the second half, but then McGraw nailed two three-pointers on consecutive shots and then making his first of two free throws. While his second free throw missed, Caltech rebounded it and Stavrinides laid it in to cap a nine-point run, and the Beavers trailed by just two points.

Wood later tied the game with a free throw, and Hicks put the Beavers ahead 37-35 in the fifth minute of the half. McGraw then scored the Beavers' next eight points on another three-pointer, a two-point jump shot, and three consecutive free throws after drawing a shooting foul from beyond the arc. Caltech then led 45-37 with 13:54 to go.

Bethesda fought back, chipping away at the Beavers' lead and eventually tying the score at 71-71 in the last minute of regulation. Desperate for possessions, they resorted to fouling and frantic shooting, but Hicks, McGraw and Pagon hit some clutch free throws to preserve the lead and seal the comeback. 

"After a very difficult first half, we worked out the kinks," Head Coach Dr. Oliver Eslinger commented after the win. "We turned it around, we fed off the three-ball energy, we strung a bunch of stops together, we started rebounding and battling, and everyone contributed. Everyone got into it, there was good energy from the sideline, and we found a way."

McGraw led both teams in scoring with his season-high 23 points, adding six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Pagon followed with 16 points and Hicks scored 12 along with three steals without commiting a single foul. Wood and Stavrinides dominated the boards with nine and eight rebounds, respectively.

The Beavers return to Braun Gym after the holiday break to host The Milwaukee School of Engineering on December 30 at 2 p.m.