SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Bethel Men's Basketball earned their first win in Crossroads League play with a 79-76 overtime victory on the road against Spring Arbor on Saturday. Zac Owens came off the bench to score a game-high 27 points on 10-14 from the field. His three-pointer with 76 ticks remaining in overtime proved to be the final difference. Nathan Aerts led the rebounding effort with a game-high 10 boards.

GAME VITALS

• Score: Bethel def. Spring Arbor 79-76 ot
• Records: Bethel (5-3, 1-0) | Spring Arbor (3-5, 0-1)
• NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll:  Bethel – NR | Spring Arbor – NR 
• Location: McDonald Athletic Center | Spring Arbor University | Spring Arbor, Mich.

STAT TRACKER

• Zac Owens: 27 pts, 10-14 fg, 4-6 3-pt
• Jared DeHart: 19 pts, 5 reb, 2-5 3-pt
• Nathan Aerts: 5 pts, 10 reb, 2 blk
• Jani Griffith: 10 pts, 3 reb, 4-7 fg

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• The Pilots led by as many as 9 points in the first half but opened the second half with a 5:35 scoring drought to give the second half momentum to Spring Arbor.
• The Pilots' bench outscored the Cougars' bench 43-18.
• It's the Pilots first overtime game and win since defeating Holy Cross on December 9, 2020.
• The Pilots turned the ball over just 10 times in the game, their fewest since coughing it up just 8 times in the loss against Cornerstone on November 1.

NEXT TIME OUT

• The Pilots host Huntington in Crossroads League action in the Wiekamp Athletic Center on Tuesday with a men's and women's doubleheader, starting with the women at 5:30 followed by the men at 7:30.

For the latest information on each of Bethel University's 31 intercollegiate athletic teams, visit BUPilots.com or follow the Pilots on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @BUPilots or on YouTube at /BethelSportsNetwork.