Box Score St. Paul, Minn. - Two familiar teams squared off in the UMAC Men's Basketball Championship Game. Saturday's game marked the sixth time that Bethany Lutheran College and Northwestern College have met in the past two seasons, including last year's championship game won by Northwestern in Mankato. The stakes were the same this year as the Vikings and Eagles squared off again with a berth in the NCAA Tournament at stake. Unfortunately for the Vikings, the outcome was the same as well as Northwestern ended Bethany's season with a 79-73 win.

Bethany and Northwestern split their regular season meetings this season with both teams winning on the other's home court. The Vikings won in St. Paul 67-64 last month and led at halftime on Saturday 39-36. Deon Wright helped the Vikings secure a halftime lead by scoring nine points, including two 3s.

Northwestern gained control of the game in the second half as Bethany was struggling to make shots. Bethany only scored two points in the half's first seven minutes as the Eagles an eight point lead at 51-43 with 12:19 remaining.

The Vikings would rally and went on a 12-4 run to tie the game at 55-55 on a Deon Wright three from the corner with 7:14 left.

Northwestern would then go on a game-killing 10-0 run. The closest Bethany would get the remainder of the game was when Garrett Benson banked in a three with 58 seconds left to make it 71-67, but the Eagles would close it out from there.

Benson led Bethany with 17 points. Wright ended up with 12, while Patrick Garvin and Gavin Kroehler added 11 and ten points, respectively.

Lance Westberg scored 23 points for Northwestern. Tom Gisler added 16 points and Wade Chitwood had 15.

The loss ends Bethany's season with a 12-14 record and 9-5 in the UMAC.