MISHAWAKA, Ind. --- The Bethel Pilots Men's Basketball team (18-9, 9-8) loses a heartbreaker on senior night to the Spring Arbor Cougars (14-13, 7-10) by a narrow margin of 89-87 in the Gates Gymnasium on Wednesday night.
Drew Lutz dropped his seventh 30+ point game and was five points away from matching his point total when he dropped 38 points at Spring Arbor on Jan. 17.
The Pilots led going into halftime 45-38. Lutz nailed four threes for 80% first-half three-point shooting, and the team shot 60% from the floor. In the second half, Bethel dropped only one triple and shot for 42% as a team, but they won the battle off the glass with 18 rebounds and 16 for the Cougars.
Of the 16 different lead changes, Spring Arbor's Gabe Newhof sunk a layup to tie the game at 68-68, but Drew Lutz put the Pilots up with a mid-range jumper at 70-68 with 9:36 to go.
With the Pilots down five and minutes to go, Lutz sunk a jumper, and Nathan Aerts drove and made a layup to get within one point, 84-83; then the battle of the free throws began with Kevyn Robertson splitting the pair, Drew Lutz sinking both after Robertson's foul, then Trey Cottingham sunk the dagger of a left-wing three at 10 seconds to go and made it 88-85. Lutz would sink both shots from the charity stripe, but it would not be enough as the Pilots fell 89-87.
NEXT TIME OUT
The Pilots take on the Taylor Trojans in the final game of the regular season and await their matchup in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinal on Wednesday, Feb. 28, with the location and time to be announced.
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.
