MISHAWAKA  – It was the seniors time to shine for the Bethel College men’s basketball team Tuesday night.

Senior guards Clay Yeo and Nick Kindig were the main men as the host Pilots topped local foe Holy Cross College 88-81 in the Wiekamp Athletic Center.

Yeo, a former star at Triton High School, scored 20 points and senior guard Kindig, who was a standout at Tippecanoe Valley High School, scored 17 points in the win.

The rivalry game began with a fast break lay-up from Holy Cross’ Brandon Lawer on a Bethel College turnover, but the Pilots quickly responded by jumping out to a quick seven-point lead on a lay-up by BC sophomore Trey Covington. The Saints refused to be shut out early and in the next four minutes went on a 12-0 run to take a five-point lead with 11:32 left to play in the half. The Pilots fought back to take the lead and headed into halftime on top 47-45.

At the break Yeo led the Pilots with 15 Pilots with three assists, while Kindig added nine points and two rebounds. If the first half the Pilots shot 50 percent from the field and 46 percent from behind the three-point line.

Senior guard O’brien Hobbs led the way for the Saints in the first half with 12 points going 3-5 from the field and a perfect 2-2 from behind the arc. The Saints outrebounded the Pilots in the first half 19-16.

The Saints kept the game close in the second half, but were unable to ever regain the lead. With 2:09 left to go in the game the Pilots held onto a two-point lead, 81-79, but a good three-point attempt from senior Jordyn Coon helped give the Pilots some breathing room. With just 24 seconds left the Saints had cut the lead to three, but a good three-pointer from senior Ryan Wassink helped put Bethel up six and eventually seal the victory for the Pilots.

Yeo finished the night shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 2-of-4 from behind the arc with six assists, while Kindig went 5-of-9 from the field with five rebounds and three assists. Sophomore forward Paul Forman added 13 points on the night, and while Wassink added 11 points and 6 rebounds, and Coon added six points, six rebounds and eight assists.

Hobbs led the way for the Saints with 19 points going 6-of-8 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the three-point line.

The Pilots continue their non-conference schedule on Friday against East-West University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.