Men’s Basketball Falls to (RV) Bethel on the Road

MISHAWAKA, Ind. – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team (12-3, 2-3) fell at (RV) Bethel University (13-2, 4-1) on Saturday, January 6.

After one half of play, MVNU found itself tied with Bethel 42-42. Eight first half threes and 14 points from Bailey Conrad kept MVNU in the game with the Pilots heading into the start of the second half. While both teams shot the ball well, Bethel's shooting in the second half proved too much for MVNU to overcome. The Pilots shot 57% in the final 20 minutes of the contest. While MVNU continued to hang with the hosts for the rest of the game, it fell in the end by a final of 96-89.

Inside the Box Score:

Bethel shot 50% for the game while MVNU shot 46%. The Cougars did a great job of defending the three, holding the Pilots to just 27.3% (6-22). MVNU shot 35.5% (11-31) from beyond the arc.

MVNU had more assists (18 to 12) and less turnovers (11 to 12) than Bethel.

Bethel outrebounded MVNU 38-31 and capitalized on its 15 offensive rebounds. The Pilots had 21 second chance points.

Conrad – 27 points (9-12 FG, 5-8 3PT, 4-4 FT), 4 rebounds, 1 steal.

Ruegsegger – 20 points (6-10 FG, 5-6 FT, 3-4 3PT), 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals.

Trent Koning – 12 points (9-10 FT), 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists.

Carter Jones – 9 points (4-7 FG, 1-3 3PT), 2 rebounds, 1 assist.

Coach Ronai's Thoughts:

"Big time battle in Indiana. Bethel is a tremendous team and our guys fought hard. They made a few more plays in the middle stretch that was the difference. Our guys competed hard and we're looking forward to getting better."

What's Next:

MVNU will host the University of Saint Francis in Ariel Arena on Wednesday, January 10 at 7:00pm.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,000 students from 25 states and 11 foreign countries.