MANKATO, MN.  – The BLC men's basketball team will be looking to defend their Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) tournament crown as they are set to start the 2018-19 playoffs on Wednesday. Last year, the Vikings ran through MN-Morris in their semi-final game and then upended Northwestern in the championship game to earn their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. This year, the Vikings will be the #2 seed and host #3 College of St. Scholastica.
 
Earlier This Season:

The Vikings defeated the Saints twice during the regular season this year. The first matchup happened back on December 8th in Mankato. The Vikings used a combination of stifling defense, holding the Saints to just 41.7% shooting, and potent offense, 52.5% shooting from the field, to defeat the Saints 90-74. Austin Bauer was the man for the Vikings in game one, shooting 7-9 from 3pt. range on his way to 22 points. For the Saints, Brandon Newman led the way with 22 points.
 
The Vikings had to come back from a 10-point deficit in game two to hand the Saints an 80-74 loss. St. Scholastica guard Collin Anderson exploded for 28 first-half points. The Vikings made the necessary halftime adjustment and held Anderson to just two points in the second half. The Vikings won the game at the free throw line, tallying 20 points from the charity stripe compared to just 11 points for the Saints. Jared Milinkovich played big for the Vikings with 21 points on 7-13 shooting.
 
The Vikings and Saints last met in the UMAC playoffs back in 2017, Coach Fletcher's first year at the helm. The Vikings held the #2 seed in the tournament and were defeated by the #3 Saints by a score of 90-70. Brandyn Frelix led the Vikings with 14 points in the game.
 
A Quick Comparison:
 
College of St. Scholastica: 15-10 overall, 11-5 UMAC, 3rd Place, Head Coach David Staniger (19th season)

• Leading scorers (UMAC): Collin Anderson – 15.8 points (9th), Brandon Newman – 15.4 points (10th)
• Team Stats (UMAC): 78.8 points per game (4th), 40.6 Defensive FG% (1st), 165 3FG Made (1st), 294 Free Throw Attempts (4th), 12.1 Turnovers per game (3rd)

Bethany Lutheran: 18-7 overall, 13-3 UMAC, 2nd place, Head Coach Matt Fletcher (3rd season)

• Leading scorers (UMAC): Cire Mayfield – 20.0 points (3rd), Trenton Krueger – 13.3 points (15th)
• Team Stats (UMAC): 88.0 points per game (2nd), 44.1 defensive FG% (3rd), 150 3FG Made (3rd), 382 Free Throw Attempts (1st), 12.6 Turnovers Per Game (5th)

 
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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