MISHAWAKA, Ind. --- With Crossroads League implications on the line, the NAIA twenty-second ranked Bethel Pilots (18-7, 9-6) struggled to stop the (RV) Marian Knights (19-6, 9-6) at home and are tied for fourth place in the conference standings after an 82-74 loss.
Alonas Peciulis put up 16 points and five rebounds after returning to the lineup from injury a couple of games ago, and Drew Lutz scored 26 points, shooting 9-for-21 from the floor and 2-for-6 from long range.
It was a neck-and-neck first half, with neither side gaining more than a one-possession lead until Luke McBride dropped a triple after Lutz put the Pilots up by one point at 1:48 with two free throws. McBride was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc in the first half and was vital in keeping the Pilots close in the latter part of the half.
Marian's Gus Etchinson helped the Knights pull away at 12:23 in the second half, where he scored in three straight Knight possessions and grew the lead to six points, 61-56. Etchinson rolled a layup in at 9:00 to go in regulation to give the Knights their first double-digit lead of the game.
Preston Phillips made a layup at 2:21 and brought the Pilots within four points, but Jackson Ames answered with a layup of his own and sealed the deal for the Knights, who won 82-74.
NEXT TIME OUT
Bethel travels to Winona Lake, Ind., to take on the NAIA #1 Grace Lancers at the Manahan OCC on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 3 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.
