MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran men's basketball team would see a 15-point second half lead slip away on Wednesday night but they were able to compose themselves and put the game away late to defeat North Central 68-64 and move onto the UMAC Championship. With the win the Vikings improve to 13-13 overall and will face off with Northwestern in St. Paul on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the UMAC Championship. 

It was a fast start for the Vikings and it was five straight points from Teon Thomas that capped off a 10-0 run to put them up 14-4 with 14:00 to go. NCU would respond with an 11-4 run to cut the deficit to three points before a tough finish from Kegan Heiderscheidt made it 20-15.

Things would stay in Bethany's favor over the next few minutes but a three-pointer with three minutes left in the half from NCU would even the score at 27. The final stretch was all Vikings though, as they held NCU scoreless and Drew Sagedahl would connect on a stepback from midrange before DJ Akpati, Jax Madson, and Dominik Bangu all converted from long range to give Bethany a 38-27 lead at the half. 

Sagedahl answered a few early second half buckets from the Rams with a pair of three pointers before back-to-back baskets from NCU made things 44-35. Bethany had the answer though, as they would score six in a row including a fastbreak Jack Brockmann layup off a behind the back pass from Sagedahl to cap off the run and make it 50-35. 

Over the next four minutes though North Central would go on a 9-2 run as they were able to bring the deficit back to just eight points with 12 minutes to play. Sagedahl would spark a 7-0 run for Bethany over the next two minutes as he buried his third three of the half, and Heiderscheidt would cap off the run with a big dunk to push the lead to 15 at 59-44. A technical foul on the dunk though would halt the momentum as the Rams would convert both free throws and pour in two more a few moments later to bring the lead back to 11. 

Bethany would push their lead to 62-48 with 7:30 left and seemed to be gaining momentum to close the game out, but the Rams would use a quick 9-0 run to bring the deficit back to just five with 5:29 left. Madson would finish strong inside to make it a three possession game, but NCU would use their next three possessions to even the score as they finished twice inside followed by a three to knot things up at 64 with 2:44 left. 

Each team then failed to convert on their next possession, and it was Sagedahl who took things into his own hands with a strong take to the hoop as he finished at the rim to put the Vikings back up two. The Rams would turn it over on their next offensive possession but an errant pass from Bethany on the other end gave it right back.  NCU would get the ball with 30 seconds left and Sagedahl would come up with a steal off a Ram turnover and after an NCU foul on Madson the senior would go to the line. With 13 seconds to play, Madson would connect on both shots and after a North Central turnover on the other end the Vikings would secure the ball and hang on for the victory. 

Sagedahl led Bethany with 19 points in the contest to go along with five rebounds and five assists. Bangu added 11 points and seven boards while Brockmann had a big day with six points, 14 rebounds, and five assists.