SAINT PETER, Minn. — The No. 12 nationally ranked Gustavus Adolphus College men's basketball team battled the College of St. Scholastica Saints on Thursday night in a MIAC contest. The Gusties didn't waste any time taking control, dominating St. Scholastica 124–65 at home with strong defense and balanced scoring. Gustavus jumped out to a 66–22 halftime lead and never really looked back, building momentum as they head into the final game of the regular season.
The Gusties had entered the game as outright MIAC champions as St. Olaf College's loss on Wednesday night to Concordia College secured the title for Gustavus on their off day. The Gusties celebrated their second consecutive MIAC title with a record-setting performance on the court.
From the start, Gustavus set the tone. The team came up with two quick steals and forced seven turnovers in the first 13 minutes. Those takeaways led to a 14–0 advantage in points off turnovers and helped spark a huge 32–1 run. With nine minutes still left in the first half, the Gusties were already up 42–13. It felt like every loose ball and rebound was going their way.
The energy wasn't just on the court, it carried over to the bench and into the stands. Players stood up after defensive stops, and teammates met at half court during timeouts. The crowd fed off the fast pace, getting louder as the lead kept growing.
Junior guard
Myles Barnette led the way with 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting and added five steals, turning defense into quick offense multiple times.
Jake Schmitt added 14 points, while
Eli Wolff gave the team a boost from beyond the arc, going 4-for-5 from three and finishing with 12 points.
Connor Beauchamp also made an impact on the boards with nine rebounds.
Statistically, Gustavus controlled nearly every category. The Gusties shot 54.9 percent from the field and 54.1 percent from three-point range. They assisted on 26 of their 50 made baskets, showing patience and good ball movement. They also outrebounded St. Scholastica 47–25 and forced 22 turnovers.
St. Scholastica found more of a rhythm in the second half and scored 43 points after halftime, but the early deficit was just too much to overcome. Gustavus' defensive pressure and overall intensity stayed consistent throughout the game.
The 59-point victory broke the all-time
MIAC record for largest margin of victory in a conference game. The previous record was a 45-point victory on November 20, 2011 when Carleton College won 93-48 over Saint Mary's University.
The 124 total points scored also puts the Gusties in the conference record book as the third most in a MIAC game, trailing only the 128 Gustavus scored against St. Olaf in 1994 and the 142 Augsburg University scored on Macalester College in 1995.
The Gusties will look to carry that same intensity into their regular-season finale against Saint Mary's this Saturday, February 21, at home.
