AHOSKIE – The Fifth Place game of the Lt. Nick Brantley Scholarship Tournament was an excellent one.

The varsity boys of Bethel Christian Academy and Pungo Christian Academy gave one of the best efforts of the tournament with the Eagles outlasting PCA 58-53.

Shane Tripp led the way for the Eagles with 24 points while Kyle Freeman chipped in 21.

The game was close throughout the contest with the Eagles about to pull it out at the end.

Bethel pulled out to an early 4-0 lead thanks to hoops by Daniel Feher and Tripp, but the Raiders came right back with a hoop from Tyler Mann.

The Eagles pulled out to an 8-2 lead thanks to a pair of hoops from Freeman. They led 12-9 by the end of the first quarter despite a late field goal by PCA’s Kristopher Armstrong.

The Raiders started getting their offense going in the second quarter when Mann hit a three-pointer and field goal back-to-back to push Pungo ahead 14-12.

Freeman rallied the Eagles to a tie, but Zack Credle hit a hoop at the 4:30 mark of the second quarter to make it 16-14.

The Raiders eventually led 20-15 after a hoop by Credle with 1:48 to play in the second quarter but Bethel got a pair of hoops by Tripp who also hit a free throw to tie the score at 20-all.

Joseph Braddy led Pungo with 15 points while Mann and Armstrong had 11 each.

The win gave Bethel fifth place in the tournament while Pungo finished sixth.