SAINT PETER, Minn. - The Gustavus men's basketball team broke a halftime tie game and outscored UW-River Falls 39-19 in the second half for a decisive 73-53 win Saturday at Gus Young Court. The Gusties extend their winning streak to four games, improving to 7-2 overall. 

The first half featured four lead changes and a number of scoring sprees by both teams. After trading buckets early in the game, the Gusties went on a 15-0 run, sparked by a layup and three-pointer by Adam Biewen, followed by a couple threes by Carson Koch for a 22-10 lead at the 10:32 mark. 

The Falcons responded with a 16-3 run over the next five minutes to take a 26-25 advantage with 5:47 to play in the half. The Gusties regained the lead on a Brady Kienitz jumper on the next possession and continued to increase the spread to 34-27, but the visitors ended the half with seven straight points, capped by a buzzer-beater jumper to tie the score 34-34 at halftime. 

There were four lead changes in the first three minutes of the second half but the Gusties took the lead for good after a Jake Schmitt layup at the 15:19 mark for a 43-41 advantage. From that point, the Gusties went on a tear, scoring 15 consecutive points, highlighted by Schmitt scoring 11 points in a four-minute span. The Gustie defense held the Falcons scoreless for 5:33 before a UWRF free throw at the 10:17 mark ended the drought, making the score 56-42. A turnaround jumper by John Mueller with 41 seconds on the clock gave the Gusties their largest lead of the game, which stood as a final at 73-53. 

For the second consecutive game, Head Coach Justin DeGrood was able to clear most of his bench at the end of the game with 14 players seeing time on the court. Ten different Gusties scored, led by Spencer Swanson with 15. Schmitt was next with 14 points off the bench, while Kienitz added 11. Wyatt Olson led the team on the glass, hauling in a game-high nine rebounds. The Gusties shot 44.4 percent from the floor and made 11-of-26 three-pointers. River Falls was limited to 34.6 percent shooting. 

Gustavus hosts Bethany Lutheran on Tuesday night.  Read Full Article