WINONA, Minn. - The Gustavus men's basketball team captured another MIAC win Wednesday evening on the road, defeating Saint Mary's 85-65. The Gusties, who have won three straight and nine of their last 10, improve to 12-3 overall and 6-0 in the MIAC, marking the first time since the 2000-01 season to start the conference schedule with six wins. 

Having grown accustom to erasing early deficits in many games this season, the Gusties faced a similar challenge today after falling behind 8-3 in the opening minutes. A layup by Dawson Kellen followed by a three from Jake Schmitt quickly tied the game and the two squads went back on forth until the midway point of the half, at which point the Gusties put together a 15-3 run and never looked back. Gustavus continued to add to its lead, going up by as much as 20 points on a three by Schmitt at the 2:14 mark. The visitors carried a 44-29 lead into the locker room, thanks in part to a perfect 6-for-6 shooting performance from Wyatt Olson, who had 16 points at half. 

The Gusties gained their largest lead of 21 points twice in the second half before the Cardinals put together a comeback effort. With nine minutes remaining in the game, Saint Mary's started what turned out to be an 11-4 run, cutting the deficit down to 71-60 with 6:17 to go, but the Gusties came right back and extended the lead back to 20 points by the end of the game. 

"It was a really good test on the road and I was incredibly pleased with our guys' poise and determination," said Head Coach Justin DeGrood. "Our guys were locked in on the defensive end and forced some long, tough possessions. As always we need to keep working on cleaning up a couple rotational pieces but overall really solid. Offensively I was so happy with our maturity and selflessness. The ball stayed hot, we largely stayed out of dangerous situations and played with a good understanding of advantage/disadvantage."

Gustavus shot 56.4 percent from the floor and made 8-of-19 from long range. The Gusties also out-rebounded the Cardinals 34-22. Olson finished the game with a season-high 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting (6-6 FT), including six rebounds, six assists, and a pair of steals. Spencer Swanson, who eclipsed 1,400 career points, added 12 points and nine rebounds, while Evan Wieker chipped in 11 points. 

The Gusties return home Saturday afternoon to host Bethel (11-4, 5-1 MIAC), who defeated Carleton 84-81 today. 
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