Minneapolis, Minn. – The Bethany Vikings (17-8, 13-3) captured the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season championship with a win over North Central (7-17, 3-12) on Wednesday night. It is the first conference championship for the men's basketball program since 2012 and only the second since becoming a four-year NCAA DIII institution. The win also means that the Vikings will be the #1 seed in the conference tournament.

"Lots of credits goes to our players and staff for fighting through the ups and downs of a long season," said Coach Fletcher. "We had great leadership from our seniors and captains all year. It's been a fun ride and we're already looking forward to an exciting conference tournament."
 
The Vikings took control right from the beginning on their way to a 50-35 lead at halftime. The Vikings came out of the locker room for the second half even strong than the first, building their lead to 41 points and winning by a final score of 104-63.
 
Trenton Krueger was a force for the Vikings, scoring a game-high 24 points on 11-13 shooting. The Vikings got stellar play from their seniors as Brady Rose, Bradley Rose, and Neil Eichten all hit double-figures with 17, 15, and 11 points respectively. Eichten also had a game-high five assists.
 
The Vikings were hot from the floor all night shooting 55.1% from the field overall and 14-32 from deep as well as a perfect 14-14 from the free throw line.
 
Up Next: The Vikings will be the number one seed in the UMAC tournament which means they will be hosting a semi-final game on Wednesday, February 21. The men will await the outcome of the opening round game on Monday to determine their opponent.
 
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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