Box Score ST. PETER, Minn. - The Bethany men's basketball team traveled to Gustavus Wednesday night and was able to break away late to secure a 96-88 victory. With the win the Vikings improve to 10-0 while the Gusties fall to 4-5. 

The first half of this game showcased two efficient offenses, as both teams shot at above a 50 percent clip in the first 20 minutes. Bethany would take a lead early that Gustavus would eventually overcome, before the Vikings used a 20-9 run to end the half and lead 55-46 at the break. The Vikings shot 55 percent in the first half while Gustavus shot at an even 50.

A three-pointer by Drew Sagedahl to open the second half put the Vikings up 12 which was the biggest lead they would have in the contest. They would maintain their lead over the course of the next five minutes before the Gusties finally started to chip away, cutting the deficit to two with 8:27 remaining. Bethany would then go on a 12-4 run to push their lead back to 10 at 87-77, before five straight points from Gustavus trimmed the lead back to five. That's the closest they would get though, as the Vikings would get a few big baskets out of Hunter Nielsen late followed by key rebounding and made free throws to secure the victory.

Six Vikings scored in double figures in this one with Sagedahl leading the way with 17. Riley Ashburn had a strong showing off the bench with 17 including 15 first half points, while Nielsen added 16. As a team, Bethany shot 54.3 percent (38-of-70) in the game while the Gusties fired at a clip of 51.5 percent (35-of-68).

The Vikings will be back in action on Saturday when they'll travel to Buena Vista for a 2 p.m. matchup.