SAINT PETER, Minn. - The Gustavus men's basketball team is set to host a MIAC semifinal game at 5 p.m. Thursday against Carleton at Gus Young Court. The Gusties (21-4) enter the conference playoffs at the No. 1 seed after posting a 15-1 league record and claiming the MIAC regular season championship for the first time since 2011-12, while the Knights (17-9), as the No. 4 seed, defeated Augsburg 73-57 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

FREE ADMISSION FOR GUSTAVUS STUDENTS

The Gustavus Athletic Department, in partnership with SAAC, will cover the cost of all Gustie students for all playoff competitions on campus on both Thursday (Feb. 28) and Saturday (March 1). All students that arrive in the first 30 minutes of the game will be admitted for free. Campus dorms will also remain open until Saturday outside of spring break regulations, and SAAC will provide in-game fan incentives to students. 

TICKET INFORMATION

All tickets for the 2025 MIAC Playoffs will be sold and purchased online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at any venue; however, spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device, including while at the venue. Tickets are available for purchase immediately. General admission adult tickets are $12 (plus HTT service charge). Student (with ID) tickets are $3 (plus HTT service charge), and children ages five and under are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased here.
 
GUSTIES IN THE MIAC PLAYOFFS
 
The MIAC Men's Basketball Playoffs began in 1985 and since then Gustavus has made 28 appearances with a record of 35-17, including 10 championships. The Gusties are the defending MIAC playoff champions after last season's playoff run that included an 85-80 quarterfinal win over Bethel in Saint Peter, a 124-116 double overtime win at Carleton in the semifinals, and a 72-71 win over Hamline in the championship in Saint Peter.
 
THE SERIES
 
Today's game marks the 103rd all-time meeting between Gustavus and Carleton on the hardwood with the Gusties holding a 60-42 advantage in the series. In their last 10 matchups, each team has won five. This is the 10th playoff matchup between the two programs, with the Gusties owning a 7-2 advantage in the playoff series against Carleton. The last two playoff meetings were in the semifinals, including last year's 124-116 double overtime thriller in Northfield, which was the highest scoring playoff game in MIAC history. The two programs also met in the 2011 semifinals - a 70-64 Gustie win at Northfield.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET - GUSTIES vs. KNIGHTS
 
No. 21 Gustavus men's basketball suffered a 73-61 loss at Carleton on Feb. 19 in the regular season finale, snapping a 12-game winning streak and a 21-game winning streak against conference opponents.
 
Coming off an emotional win Saturday against Saint John's, which clinched at least a share of the MIAC title, the championship fatigue was evident in the first half as the Gusties shot a pedestrian 37.5 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 10 times. The Gusties opened the game with an early lead after a trio of threes from Jake Schmitt in a 67-second span for a 14-11 advantage, but the Knights responded with 20-3 run and held the Gusties scoreless for over six minutes, resulting in a 31-17 lead at the 5:29 mark. The Knights gained their largest lead of the half at 41-26 and carried a 41-28 lead into the break.
 
Head Coach Justin DeGrood's halftime speech lit a fire in the Gusties as they quickly cut the deficit down to five points, highlighted by four offensive rebounds to generate second-chance points. The Gusties scored the first eight points of the half before the Knights got back in a rhythm to regain a double-digit lead with a three-pointer at the 14:09 mark, leading 48-36.
 
Carleton maintained a double-digit lead for a majority of the second half until Brady Kienitz found a hot hand from long range, making three treys in less than two minutes, cutting the deficit to 68-61 with 1:33 on the clock. The shooting went blank the rest of the way, though, as the Knights secured the upset win.
 
"It's certainly a really disappointing evening for us and not entirely because of the result but because of the way in which we executed," DeGrood said. "Many of the principals we hang our hat on just weren't there. Far too many miscues and lost opportunities, especially against such a good opponent.

"Credit to our guys for having a terrific regular season and earning a little break as we head into playoff mode. This time will allow us to learn from this, get healthy and work towards being the best version of ourselves."

Kienitz led the way with 17 points, including 5-of-13 shooting from three-point range. Kienitz surpassed both Kirk Walberg (1998-02) and Andy Schultz (1987-91) for third place in program history, now with 162 career three-pointers made. Schmitt also shot well from long range, making 3-of-5, and finished with 13 points. Wyatt Olson hauled in a game-high nine rebounds.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
 
The Gusties have enjoyed a great deal of success at home this season with an undefeated 12-0 record. In those 12 home games, the Gusties have outscored their opponents by an average of 17.9 points per game, averaging 83.9 points while limiting visitors to 66.0 points per game. The Gusties are shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from three-point range at home. They are also out-rebounding opponents by a +10.6 margin. Gustavus has scored at least 90 points five times at home, including a season-high 112 points, and have held opponents to under 70 points six times. In home games, Spencer Swanson (12.8), Wyatt Olson (11.2), Myles Barnette (11.1), and Evan Wieker (10.8) all average double figure scoring. Dating back to last season, the Gusties have won 16 consecutive home games.
 
NATIONAL RANKS
 
Among NCAA Division III men's basketball teams, Gustavus ranks 10th in field goal percentage (48.4), 17th in three-point percentage (37.9), 18th in winning percentage (84.0), 19th in rebound margin (8.6), and 28th in scoring margin (12.0).
 
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
 
A trio of Gusties have etched their names in the Gustavus record books this season. Brady Kienitz has cemented himself as one of the most prolific three-point shooters in program history, making 162-of-401 career threes. (.404), which ranks third in program history. Evan Wieker, who has played in 106 career games, recently became the 35th member of the Gustavus 1,000-point club and enters Thursday's game with 1,036 career points. And Spencer Swanson continues to climb the scoring list, currently ranking ninth in program history with 1,512 career points. Swanson also has 727 career rebounds, which ranks fifth.
 
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
 
Carleton enters tonight's semifinal game after a convincing 73-57 win over Augsburg in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Sam Koelling led the offense with 19 points along with a team-high nine rebounds, while Matt Drake and Luke Harris added 14 points each. The Knights have won four of their last six games, including a 73-61 win over then-No. 21 ranked Gustavus on Feb. 19. Carleton averages 74.2 points, 34.8 rebounds, and is shooting 46.5 percent from the field. Harris leads the MIAC with 19.5 points per game, while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 40.3 percent from long range. Koelling is next with 13.2 points per game, and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game. Drake is the third Knight in double figures, averaging 11.6 points per game.