SAINT PETER, Minn. — The Gustavus men's basketball team suffered its first MIAC loss of the season Saturday, falling to Bethel 80-71 in overtime at Gus Young Court. The Gusties tied the game 69-69 in the final minutes of play to send it to overtime, but Bethel went 11-2 in the extra five minutes to defeat the Gusties, who drop to 7-4 overall and 6-1 in the MIAC.

The Gusties came out of the gates swinging after tip off, as layups from Adam Biewen, Evan Wieker, and Wyatt Olson gave them an early 6-2 advantage. That four point lead was the largest the team saw for the rest of the night, though, as the Bethel offense stormed back for a dominant first half. The Royals wiped away the early Gustavus lead with a 22-point scoring run in the next seven minutes, going 10-for-11 from the floor and holding the Gusties to just 10 points. Gustavus evened the score three times, but ended scoreless in the last two minutes of the frame, while Bethel went 3-for-4 to head into the break with a 38-35 lead.
 
Consecutive layups from Olson and Spencer Swanson sent the score back in favor of the Gusties to start the second, but Bethel responded once again, building their lead to as many as eight, 64-56. Brady Kienitz ignited the Gustie comeback effort with a three-pointer to bring the team within five, 64-59. Wieker and Swanson each added one from long to tie the game at 69-69. With 0:23 seconds left in regulation, the Gusties got the stop as Olson scooped up a defensive rebound on a missed Royal layup. As time ticked down, Swanson went for the game-winning shot in the final seconds, but came up empty, sending the team to overtime for the second time in their last three match-ups with the Royals. 

Bethel dominated both sides of the court in OT, shooting 2-for-3 from three and snagging five defensive rebounds. The Gusties forced a turnover and picked up two offensive rebounds, but struggled to make shots in the final five minutes, going 1-for-8 from the floor and missing two free throw attempts. 

The Gusties shot 44.8 percent as a team, were 4-for-19 from three, and made 7-of-12 from the charity stripe. The Royals shot 53.9 percent from the field, and got much of their offensive contributions from Nick Burke and Zach Doely, who both totaled more than 20 points on the game. 

Evan Wieker led the Gustie scoring effort with a season-high 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Swanson was next with 16, while Wyatt Olson chipped in a 10-point 12-rebound double-double. 

The Gusties continue MIAC play Wednesday, hosting Saint Mary's at Gus Young Court for a 7 p.m. tip off. 

  Read Full Article