Berry's men's basketball team defeated Centre College 83-61 in a Southern Athletic Association road game on Friday night in Danville, Kentucky. Chase Ellis and Robbie Rusciano both set career highs in points, contributing to the Vikings' exhilarating performance on offense.

Ellis led the team with 23 points, followed by Rusciano with 19, and Blake Campbell and Riley Costas each with 10. The team totaled 39 rebounds, with Costas completing a double-double with a game-high 10.

Berry (18-2, 9-1 SAA) overwhelmed Centre (11-11, 5-6) in the second half despite their back and forth game in the first half. Early in the second half, Berry grew their lead over Centre to 11 points thanks to an Austin Brooks layup with an assist from Michael Johnson. The Vikings picked up a lot of momentum, with Blake Campbell growing Berry's lead to 16 points on a basket that made it 62-46 with 12 minutes remaining. The Vikings didn't stop there, as when Rusciano hit his fifth three-point basket of the night, and Campbell gave them the cherry on top with a dunk, the Vikings extended their lead to 20 points, 67-47.

Ellis would hit back-to-back three-pointers with five minutes left in regulation to push the lead up to a game-high 28, and the Vikings would cruise to an easy win.

In the first half, Campbell scored six straight points midway through the period, giving Berry a 22-14 lead. The Colonels would answer and take a one-point lead after two free-throws, but the Vikings quickly regained the lead thanks to a Chase Ellis layup. With 30 seconds remaining in the half, Rusciano netted a three-pointer, giving Berry a comfortable lead of 43-36 going into the locker room.

The win, combined with Oglethorpe's loss at Sewanee, gives the Vikings control of first place in the SAA by percentage points over the Petrels. To maintain that advantage, the Vikings will have to defeat Sewanee on the road this Sunday at 4 p.m. EST.