AURORA, Ill. - Bethany men's basketball (1-1) lost a back-and-forth battle Saturday at Aurora, 84-79.
The Vikings and Spartans went blow-for-blow throughout the first half with 11 lead changes. A three-pointer from Elliot Whitney at the 7:08 mark gave the Vikings their largest lead of the half at 22-18. Tied at 29 with four minutes on the clock, the Spartans finished the half on an 11-4 run for a 40-33 lead at the break. Both teams shot 51 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes.
Trailing 46-39 at the 17:19 mark, Rysley Borman hit a three to spark an 18-4 run over the next five minutes. The Vikings went 6-for-6 from the floor during that span. The Spartans fought back, though, and took the lead for good after a couple free throws at the 10:37 mark. The home team built its lead to eight at 72-64 with 6:44 but the Vikings did not go quietly. Cooper Mensink hit a couple threes and Borman hit another to cut the deficit to three all three times, but the Spartans held on for the win.
Bethany shot 52.6 percent from the floor, led by Max Briggs with 18 points, including four three-pointers. Amory Peterson was next with 14 points, while Whitney and Borman each added 11 points. Jack Brockmann chipped in 10 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Aurora shot 18 more free throws than Bethany, making 20-of-27 while the Viking were 5-of-9 from the line.
Bethany hosts Luther next Saturday afternoon for its home opener.
