ASHLAND, Wis. – The Northland College Men's Basketball team fell 72-50 to Bethany Lutheran College in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play Saturday afternoon in Ashland, Wis.
 
Stephen Kesti opened the scoring with the first shot of the game. The Vikings tied it at two after an offensive rebound, but Damian Cejka put NC back on top with a layup. Bethany Lutheran then took its first lead, scoring eight unanswered points. Jahlani Thornton ended the rally with a two-point jumper. The Vikings extended their lead to double digits with under 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Donovan Washington hit the LumberJacks' first three-pointer to chip away at the deficit. A free throw by Thornton cut the lead to seven with under four minutes left in the opening frame. A three-pointer from BLC ended the scoring, leaving them up 34-24.
 
After giving up an opening triple in the second half, Northland went on a seven-point run to trail by just six. BLC responded with its own seven-point rally. Baskets by Kesti and Cejka brought the lead back into single digits, but that would be the closest the Jacks would get to the lead for the rest of the game. Several more runs by the Vikings extended their lead, resulting in a 72-50 victory.
 
Washington led the Jacks with 15 points, which came from two three-pointers and three three-point plays. Kesti followed with 10 points, and Thornton rounded out the top three with seven. Defensively, Thornton had a team-high six rebounds. Washington recorded a career-high six steals. Tyler Tuura and Ari Pierson each had two blocks in the contest.
 
The Jacks play next on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., against the University of Wisconsin-Superior in Ashland, Wis.
 
Northland College is an NCAA Division III institution located in Ashland, WI. The LumberJacks and LumberJills sponsor 14 varsity sports and compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.