Mishawaka, Ind. --- The Bethel University Men's Basketball team (13-6, 5-4) picked up another Crossroads League victory as they defeated the Goshen Maple Leafs (2-16, 0-8) by a score of 86-70 on Saturday afternoon at the Wiekamp Center.

The game started neck and neck, with neither side gaining more than a four-point advantage until 9:50 in the first half when junior guard Trent Edwards scored a layup to put the Pilots up 28-23. Goshen tied the game with a deep ball at 7:10, but the Pilots ended the half on a 15-3 run to take a 52-41 lead into the break.

In the second half, the Maple Leafs chipped the lead down to just six points at the 11:04 mark, but the Pilots would never let it get any closer, widening their margin to as many as 18 points and cruising to their 13th victory of the season, and their fifth in Crossroads League play.

The Pilots were led in scoring again by Nathan Aerts, as he continued his stellar play, scoring 26 points and snatching nine rebounds while shooting 10 for 16 (62%) from the floor.

While it seemed like a quiet night for senior guard Drew Lutz, by the time the buzzer had sounded, Lutz was just one assist away from a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists.

Chikara Tanaka and Brando Hunt chipped in with 15 and 13 points respectively to round out the Pilots scoring in double figures.
The Pilots dominated the lane with 42 points in the paint and outrebounded the Mapleleafs 44-33.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• Bethel outscored Goshen in points off of turnovers, 16-0.
• Aerts shot 10-16 from the floor, which marks the second game in a row he has made at least 10 shots in a game.
• Lutz has two double doubles this season after his 15 points and 10 rebounds.

 
NEXT TIME OUT

The Pilots get a second chance against NAIA sixth ranked Grace College (Ind.) at the Manahan OCC in Winona Lake, Ind. starting at 7 p.m. on the Regional Radio Sports Network, with pregame starting at 6:45 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.