MISHAWAKA, Ind. --- Preston Phillips was the lone Pilot with a double-double in the Bethel Pilots (1-0) season opener with the Governors State Jaguars (0-1) in the Gates Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.

Phillips had 28 points with 13 rebounds, and four assists and went 10-14 from the charity stripe in a great start to his Graduate season.

Alonas Peciulis also went for 20 points and shot 9-11 from the floor and 2-for-3 at the line with Trent Edwards and Luke McBride rounding out the Pilot offense with 12 and 10 points respectively.

The Pilots were battling to gain more than a two-possession advantage with Luke McBride knocking down a three at 15:25 in the first half to go up 15-9.

Alonas Peciulis laid a dunk down the lane after getting a steal off the Jaguar's Tyrell Isom to grow to a 10-point lead 31-21 at 5:57 left in the half and Austin Cripe drained a jumper in the next possession for a comfortable 12-point 33-21 lead at 5:30, then go into the half up 39-31 after GSU hit a couple from downtown to chip the Pilots down to an eight-point lead.

After McBride's triple at 17:11 in the second half to get back to a 46-36 advantage, the Pilots took off and hit a 21-point lead at 11:44 and peaked at a 27-point 86-59 lead from a layup by Payton Baird and the Pilots won 86-61 in their first game of the season.

The Pilots continue their non-conference slate with the Rio Grande Red Storm (Ohio) at the Manahan OCC in Winona Lake, Ind. for a neutral site matchup on Friday, Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. and face the University of Northwestern Racers on Saturday, Nov. 2, at noon for the second neutral site game at the Manahan OCC.

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