Men's Basketball

Ryne Lightfoot

Jersey Number: 5
Class: Senior
Major: Sports Management
Home Town: Wakarusa, IN
High School: NorthWood
Position: G
Height/Weight: 6-3 / 205

“Ryne has done a lot of good things for our program. He gives us a leader on the court. A key for Ryne is to get back his explosiveness he had before his injury. We need Ryne to rebound more from the guard position than he has done in the past. When he plays with passion his teammates will certainly play off of his passion, which is important for him to continue to do.” -Coach Lightfoot
 
As a Junior (08/09)
 
Ryne continued to show why he is one of the most durable players in Bethel history, again playing in no fewer than 35 games and starting in no fewer than 33 for the third straight season.
 
He also played at least 1,100 minutes for the third straight season, the only Pilot ever to do so. His 3,484 minutes played are second most in program history for any three year stretch, behind only Ryan Bales’ 3,503 minutes played from 1996-99.
 
Ryne set personal bests in free throw percentage, rebounds, steals (finishing second on the team), and turnovers (for the second straight season). He also set career highs in steals (6 vs. Purdue Calumet, 11/18) and free throws made (14 vs. St. Francis, 1/20).
 
Ryne scored in double figures 24 times, topping out at 29 points against Marian on 2/10. He went 10-of-14 from the floor, setting a career high in field goals made. Ryne also set a career high in rebounds as well, grabbing 8 carems. He led the team in scoring in five games. Ryne topped the 5-assist mark in 15 games, dishing out a season-high 10 assists in three separate games.
 
Ryne became a member of both the 1,000 Point Club and 400 Assist Club, only the 8th Pilot ever to do so. With 361 career rebounds, he has an outside shot at also joining the 500 Rebound Club, something only three other Pilots have been able to accomplish.
 
NAIA Honorable Mention All-American, NAIA Scholar Athlete, NCCAA 2nd-Team All-American, NCCAA North Central Region 1st-Team, NCCAA Scholar Athlete, MCC 2nd-Team All-Conference
 
 
As a Sophomore (07/08)
 
Ryne followed up a very successful freshman season with an equally successful sophomore campaign. Consistency was the key, as he started every game and lowered his turnover totals from the previous season.
 
Ryne scored in double figures 25 times, peaking at 27 points against St. Francis on 2/27, totaling 8-of-9 from the field, 5-of-5 from the three point line, and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. He also topped the 5-assist mark in 18 games, with a season-high 9 assists in two separate games
 
Even though Ryne’s points and assists per game were lower than his first go-round, his field goal percentage rose 14% and his 3-point field goal percentage rose 6% to an impressive 44.8%, good for 4th highest in the MCC and 20th in the NAIA, which placed him into a tie for 5th place in Bethel single-season history with Ryan Bales.
 
Ryne’s 4.9 assists per game were good for best in the conference and 17th in the nation. Ryne finished the season 30 assists shy of joining the 400 Assist Club and 23 points shy of joining the 1,000 Point Club for his career.
 
NCCAA 2nd-Team All-American, NCCAA North Central Region 1st-Team, MCC 2nd-Team All-Conference
 
As a Freshman (06/07)
 
After a tremendously prolific high school career, Ryne brought his success with him up the road to Mishawaka. Spurning offers from NCAA D1 schools such as St. John’s, Air Force, and NC State, he burst onto the college scene in the NAIA and went on to average 5.5 assists per game, good for 2nd in the MCC and 8th in the NAIA.
 
Ryne topped the 5-assist mark in 23 games, with a season- and career-high 12 assists in a win over Madonna on 12/4.
 
Ryne scored in double figures 29 times, out of the 35 games he played in, saving his best for the NCCAA North-Central Regional Championship against Northwestern (MN) on 3/3.
 
Ryne scored a career-high 32 points, including seven 3-pointers, to lead the Pilots in a heart-stopping 96-95 double overtime victory, to capture the program’s first NCAA Regional on the road.
 
Ryne was not done showing his desire to compete, however. During the NCCAA national championship quarterfinal, Ryne severely sprained his ankle. It looked as if his season would be over. He sat out the rest of that game and the entirety of the semifinal game as well.
 
However, after less than two days of rest and his team in need of some help off the bench, Ryne found his way into the national championship game and played 23 key minutes while providing great defense. Ryne would later ensure Bethel of its 4th NCCAA national championship by icing the game in overtime, making 5-of-6 free throws in the extra period.
 
Ryne averaged 14.7 points per game for the season, which placed him 11th in the conference.