MANKATO, Minn.-- The Bethany Lutheran men's basketball team (3-2 overall) travels to face Martin Luther (1-2) Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. to open conference play.

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The Series
The Vikings own the series lead at 23-9 which includes the last eight-straight. The programs have met at least twice each season since 2004-05.

Bethany Lutheran
Sophomore Cire Mayfield (St. Louis Park, Minn.) leads the team with 15.8 PPG and senior Trenton Krueger (Eagan, Minn.) follows at 15.4. Junior Brian Smith (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) averages 14.2 PPG and classmate Jared Milinkovich (New Prague, Minn.) has 13.2.

Krueger nearly averages a double double with his team-best 9.0 rebounds/game. Mayfield has a team-high 31 assists and Smith leads the way with 12 steals.

Career Record Watch
Krueger is first in blocks (62) and sixth in rebounds (413). Milinkovich is fifth in blocks (45).

National Stat Rankings
Bethany Lutheran ranks in the top 100 of eight  national stat ranking categories, the NCAA released Monday.

The Vikings are ninth in free throw percentage (81.4), 28th in scoring offense (90.0 PPG), 49th in blocked shots/game (4.4), 52nd in field goal percentage (39.2),  77th in three-point field goals/game (9.8), 79th in blocks (22), and 80th in rebounds/game (41.60), and 92nd in three-point field goal percentage (38.1).

Individually, Mayfield is 19th in assists/game (6.2), and 49th in assists (31).

Krueger is 28th in double doubles (3), 69th in field goal percentage (59.6), 79th in blocks/game (1.60), and 86th in rebounds/game (9.0).

Smith 60th in steals/game (2.40), while sophomore Kaden Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) is 33rd in three-point field goal percentage (51.7),  and 77th in three-point field goals/game (3.00).

Milinkovich is fourth in field goal percentage (73.5) and 27th in free throw percentage (93.3).

Martin Luther
Two players, Joseph Hirsch and Joey Behm lead the team with 10.7 and 10.0 PPG, respectively. Behm is the leading rebounder with 6.0/game.