Box Score The Bethany Lutheran men’s basketball team hosted the winless St. Mary’s Cardinals on Wednesday night. The Vikings found themselves leaving the floor with another close loss, losing by a score of 59-55.
 
The Vikings started cold and trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half, but evened the score with a few ticks left on the clock in the first half. A five-point lead would not be enough in the second half, though, and the Vikings’ losing streak continues.
 
The Vikings could not take full advantage of winning the turnover battle, turning the ball over ten times compared to 14 for St. Mary’s. Bethany shot 36.4 percent from the field. The Vikings shot 78.6 percent from the free throw line going 11-14 from the stripe.
 
Derek Peterson (St. Paul, Minn./Tartan) led the Vikings on offense with 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Gavin Kroehler  (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur) rejected three shots to go along with two steals and eight points. Patrick Garvin (Jackson, Minn. / Jackson County Central) dished out five assists. Garrett Benson (Rochester, Minn./Mayo) came off the bench to score 11 points while shooting 2-for-4 from beyond the arc.
 
The Vikings will look for their third win when they travel to Northfield to take on Carleton on Friday for a 7:00 p.m. tip.