Indianapolis, Ind. --- It was a heart-breaking loss for the NAIA RV Bethel Pilots as they battled toe-to-toe for 40 minutes before losing to NAIA #5 Marian 78-75.

The Pilots held the lead for the entire first half, jumping out to a 19-7 lead and holding a 37-32 advantage at the half, but the Knights slowly chipped at the lead until two free throws tied the game at 53-53 with 10:51 left in regulation.

At that point, the Pilots went cold from the floor, failing to score for the next four minutes and ultimately falling behind by as many as 11 points before a furious comeback in the final minutes. Bethel had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer but a 40-footer off the hands of Drew Lutz was off the mark.

Rebounding was a huge factor in the outcome as Marian outrebounded Bethel 48-28, leading to 18 second chance points, to only 2 for the Pilots.

Three Pilots would score in double-digits in the loss, including Drew Lutz (24), Nathan Aerts (22) and Brandon Hunt (14).

With the loss, the Pilots drop to 7-2 overall and 2-1 in the Crossroads League, while Marian stays undefeated on the season at 10-0 and 3-0 in the Crossroads League.
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• Marian outrebounded Bethel 48-28, including 18 offensive rebounds.
• Bethel only scored two second-chance points with only one offensive board for the game.

 
NEXT TIME OUT

• Men's Basketball will be featured on WHME TV-46 for the Game of the Week on Saturday, Dec. 3 as they take on the Taylor Trojans at 3:00 p.m.

 
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 YouTube at /BethelSportsNetwork.