LINCOLN, Neb.  – The Bethany men's basketball team (1-4) continued play at the Snyder Thanksgiving Classic on Saturday evening against the host team Nebraska Wesleyan (4-0). The Prairie Wolves are receiving votes in the NCAA D3 top 25 poll and came into the contest averaging 105 points a game. The Vikings hung tough for the majority of the game, but couldn't slow down Wesleyan's offensive attack, losing 95-78.
 
The Vikings scored 36 points in the first half and shot 50% (14-28) from the field, but only converted 6 of 15 attempts at the free throw line. The Prairie Wolves gathered eight offensive rebounds in the first half and made 6 of 18 three-point attempts, taking a 45-36 lead into the break.
 
The Vikings stormed out of halftime with a quick 7-0 run to cut their deficit to just two points, forcing the Prairie Wolves to call a timeout. The Prairie Wolves regrouped and slowly extended their lead to double-digits over the next five minutes. The Vikings remained in striking distance, but couldn't overcome a 29 point performance from Wesleyan forward Cooper Cook. In the end, the Vikings lost 95-78.
 
Trenton Krueger posted 20 points and eight rebounds for the Vikings. Brady Rose finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. Krueger and Brady Rose were named to the all-tournament team for their efforts. Neil Eichten finished the game with 14 points and Blake Lindstrom scored 11 points.
 
As a team, the Vikings shot 28-55 (50.9%) from the field, 7-21 (33.3%) from three, and 15-28 (53.6%) from the free-throw line.
 
Up Next: The Vikings continue their play on the road with a game at UW-Stout on Wednesday, November 29 at 7 PM.

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MEDIA: If you need further information, please feel free to contact Dan DeWitt at 507-344-7856 or email ddewitt@blc.edu